
Glass 
Book_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



u 




Captain John Smith. 




A DESCRIPTION 0/ VIRGINIA, 
MORE PARTICULARLY THE 
TIDEWATER SECTION, NAR- 
RATING MANY INCIDENTS 
RELATING TO THE MANNERS 
AND CUSTOMS of OLD VIRGINIA 
SO FAST DISAPPEARING AS A 
RESULT of THE WAR BETWEEN 
THE STATES, TOGETHER WITH 
MANY HUMOROUS STORIES 



ILLUSTRATED 



JAMES J. McDonald 

Formerly State Senator from the 36th Senatorial 
District of Virginia 



EDITED BY 

J. A. C. Chandler 



The Old Virginia Publishing Co. (Inc.), Norfolk, Va. 
M C M V II 






|USKAsV of OCJNsifEisI 
.j Two Copies Hftsi.i:.- I 

I DEC 6 190? I 



/? 



.OrY 



Copyrieht 1907 
By 

The OW Virginia Publishing Company (inc.) 



FOREWORD 



When I am old and feeble, 

And cannot work any more, 

Then carry me back to Old Virginia, 

To Old Virginia's shore. 

This sentiment doubtless was most forcibly expressed in 
the year 1907, during which there was witnessed an interna- 
tional celebration of the first permanent settlement of the 
English speaking people upon the American continent. 

In aid of this event the Congi-ess of the United States 
passed an Act approved March 3, 1905, entitled "An Act to 
provide for celebrating the birth of the American Nation, the 
•irst permanent settlement of English speaking people on the 
i\"estern hemisphere, by the holding of an international naval, 
uarine and military celebration in the vicinity of Jamestown 
in the waters of Hampton Eoads, in the State of Virginia, to 
provide for the suitable and permanent Commemoration of 
said event and to authorize an appropriation in aid thereof 
and for other purposes." 

The Act authorized the President of the United States to 
make public proclamation of this celebration, " inviting 
foreign nations to participate by the sending of their naval 
and such representatives of their military organizations as 
may be proper." 

The proclamation fixed the time of the beginning of the 
celebration on May 13, and ending not later than November 
1, 1907. 

The purpose of this book is to give a brief history of the 
Jpfforts of the English to establish permanent settlements in 
Virginia, and to follow with interesting stories of the life and 
(ustoms of the people inhabiting particularly that part of 

[iii]' 



IV FOREWORD 

Old Virginia, known as the "Tidewater" section where 
American civilization began its first struggles for existence 
amid the forests of a new world whose only occupants then 
were wild beasts and savage men. 

It was the fortune of the writer to pass more than twenty- 
five years of his life in Eastern Virginia, beginning at the 
close of that great struggle — the War between the States — 
when there yet existed many of the customs and manners in- 
herited from the forefathers of the quiet and orderly people 
inhabiting that section. By means of official and social inter- 
course with all classes of the citizens of Tidewater Virginia 
the writer is indebted for much of the interesting and amus- 
ing data herein submitted to the reader. 

The book also contains the names of all the counties with 
date of formation and a valuable appendix giving a list with 
short biographical sketches of all the governors of Virginia. 
This volume is, therefore, intended as a reference book as well 
as for general reading. Many of the narratives may appear 
disconnected, but the author wishes it understood that his 
purpose has been not to give a connected history but to present 
those facts of Virginia relating especially to the life and cus- 
toms which are fast disappearing and of which there has been 
no chronicler. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



CHAPTEK PAGE 

I The Domain of Virginia 1 

II The Peninsulas of Tidewater Virginia. ... 5 

III The Indians of Virginia 2^ 

IV The Lost Colony of Eoanoke 36 

V The Founding of an English Nation in 

America 43 

VI Captain John Smith 64 

VII The Place of Smith's Rescue 71 

VIII Virginia Firmly Planted 78 

IX Old Williamsburg 84 

X Marrying in Old Virginia 90 

XI The Growth of Virginia in Colonial Days. 97 

XII Some Observations on Tidewater People.. 114 

XIII The Commonwealth op Virginia, 1776- 

1860 128 , 

XIV The JSTegro Slave in Virginia 14:8X 

XV Secession and Civil War 160 

XVI The Negro and His Former Master 168 

XVII County Courts in Tidewater A^irginia. . . . 179 

XVIII Country Roads IN Tidewater Virginia 205 

XIX Lands and Products 221 

XX Life and Customs 267 

XXI Miscellaneous 310 

Appendix — List of Governors of Virginia with Short 
Biographical Sketches 336 



[v] 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Captain John Smith Frontispiece. 

Birthplace of James Munroe. . 
Birthplace of George Washingtc 



Birthplace of James Munroe. . . | ^^""^ ^"^= 

lington ) 



174 



Rope Ferry near West Point ) ... 32 

Ruins of White House on Pamunkey River ) 

Place of Smith's Rescue (Rosewell) ) ^ ^ . . 72 

Indian Dance j 

Yorktown, Va. \ ^^.^^°^ ^°^^^ 1 130 

( Principal Street ) 

Carpet Bag of Reconstruction Days ) 262 

Edmund Ruffin ) 

Wind Grist Mill 

Water-power (« Overshot Wheel ") Grist Mill 

Birthplace of General R. K. Lee ) 204 • 

Home of President Tyler . . . ) 

Foot Bridge over a Run | 208 

A Winding Hill Road of Tidewater ) 

^^ Buck and Bright, " a Virginia Ox Team ) 220 

A Negro ex-Confederate Soldier, . . . ) 

Watermelon Hucksters on the way to Richmond ) ^-^ 

A Map of Virginia ; 

A Successful Coon Hunt \ 284 

Shore Fishery ) 

"Sunnyside," a Tidewater Virginia Home ) 2qo 

Berkley, Birthplace of President Harrison | 
Residence of General R. E. Lee, Richmond, Va., 

(1861-1865) 318 

Confederate Monument in Hollywood. 330 

White House of the Confederacy, with Shaft of the 

Merrimac 334 

[vii] 



Life in Old Virginia 

CHAPTEK I 
The Domain of Virginia 



The historian Burke wrote : " A correct history of Virginia 
would be the history of North America itself, a portion of the 
globe, which enjoying the invaluable privilege of self govern- 
ment, promises to eclipse the glory of Rome and Athens. In 
this part of the American Continent the first permanent estab- 
lishment was formed by the English, and it is here we must look 
for those ancient documents and materials, whose discovery will 
throw light on the history of the other States." 

Virginia, now a South Atlantic State, and one of the 
original thirteen States to form the Union, was named in 
honor of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, and originally com- 
prised all the territory north of Florida extending "from 
sea to sea," across this continent, from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific Oceans. What is now left of this immense territory, 
bearing the honored name of Virginia, lies between the 
parallels of 36° 31' and 39° 27' North; and longitude 
75° 13' and 83° 37' West, containing a gross area of 42,450 
square miles, or 27,168,000 acres; 40,125 square miles of which 
is land surface, and 2,325 square miles of water surface. It 
contains 100 counties, which are grouped into six grand divi- 
sions, as follows : 

(1) Tidewater Virginia; (2) Middle Virginia; (3) Pied- 
mont, Virginia; (4) The Valley of Virginia; (5) The Blue 
Eidge, and (6) Apalachia. 

[1] 



2 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The first dividing of the original territory named Virginia 
was by James I of England, who on April 10, 1606, granted 
a charter to the " South Virginia Company " of London, 
commonly called the " London Company,*' and to the " North 
Virginia Company," of Plymouth. When this charter was 
granted, the Crown of England claimed the whole of North 
America called " Virginia," between 34° and 45° north 
latitude under the name of Virginia, by right of discovery. 
It was conceded that Spain occupied all south of 34° — com- 
monly called Florida — and to France was conceded all north 
of 45°. To the London Company was granted the territory 
between 34° and 41° north latitude, running from ocean to 
ocean. 

The northern limits of Virginia were afterwards curtailed 
by grants to Lord Baltimore in 1631 and to William Penn in 
1681, and the southern limits by a grant to the Proprietors of 
the Carolinas by charter in 1663. The next division of Vir- 
ginia's territory was by deed of cession through her delegates 
in the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel 
Hardy, Arthur Lee, and James Monroe on March 1, 1784. 

When the definite treaty of peace with Great Britain was 
made, September 3, 1783, the general government had no 
lands in its possession, though the States had promised to 
cede their western lands. All the territory included in that 
treaty was then claimed by some one or other of the several 
States. It was through the cessions of these several States 
which claimed the lands that the United States government 
derived title to what is known as public lands, or "public 
domain." Subsequently both the public and national domain 
was acquired and added to by the general government by 
purchase, treaty and annexation from France, Spain, Texas, 
and Eussia, during several respective periods. The " national 
domain " is the total area, land and water, embraced within 



THE DOMAIN OF VIRGINIA 3 

the boundaries of the United States of America. The United 
States govermnent also holds dominion over the Sandwich 
Islands, some parts of the West Indies, and the Philippine 
Islands, all of which are outside the limits of the main lands 
of North America. 

Prior to 1781, six only of the original thirteen States, viz., 
New Hampshire, Khode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 
Maryland, and Delaware had their present defined boundaries, 
while the remaining seven States, claimed some lands to the 
west. The States with inexact boundaries ceded their claims 
to the lands west of their present limits to the general Govern- 
ment. 

The total actual cessions of these seven States, viz: Con- 
necticut, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Caro- 
lina, South Carolina, and Georgia, for public domain, were 
404,956 square miles, or 259,171,840 acres. Of this amount 
Virginia ceded 195,431,680 acres, the most valuable gift ever 
recorded in the history of this nation. Hence her right to 
the honored title of " The Mother of States." 

On March 1, 1784, Virginia, through her delegates in the 
Continental Congress completed the act of ceding all the 
territory west of the State of Pennsylvania and northwest of 
the river Ohio below the forty-first parallel of north latitude, 
which was hers by charter right. She had an additional 
claim to the western territory extending north from the forty- 
first parallel north latitude to Lakes Michigan and Huron, 
now in Illinois and Michigan, and northward, by reason of 
conquest and occupancy during the Eevolutionary War by her 
State troops under General George Rogers Clark. 

The present area of the State of Kentucky, 40,400 square 
miles, was a " District " of Virginia, lying south of the Ohio 
River, and was allowed to be organized into a State in 1793. 



4 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The extent of the territory Virginia gave to the Union was : 

The State of Ohio (excepting the Western Re- 
serve and Fire-lands claimed by the State of 
Connecticut and lands now in Michigan) ....39,354 sq. miles 

The State of Indiana 33,809 sq. miles 

The State of Illinois 55,414 sq. miles 

She also ceded lands claimed by the State of Connecticut 
and Massachusetts under their crown charters, as well as by 
the United States under the definite treaty of peace with 
Great Britain of 1783: 

In Michigan 56,451 sq. miles 

In Wisconsin 53,924 sq. miles 

In Minnesota, east of Mississippi River 26,000 sq. miles 

Total (disputed and undisputed) cession by 
Virginia, including Kentucky 305,362 sq. miles 

The last slice of territory taken from Old Virginia was 
23,000 square miles, which went to form the State of West 
Virginia, by an Act of Congress, December 31, 1862, which 
took effect June 9, 1863. 



CHAPTEE II 
The Peninsulas of Tidewater Virginia 



The region which the colonists first selected for settlement 
is known as " Tidewater Virginia." It was there that the 
first great struggle of the white race was begun with the 
aboriginal inhabitants for the purpose of establishing a per- 
manent abiding home in a new world, many years before the 
" Pilgrim Fathers " first sighted Plymouth Eock. The 
howling of the wild beasts of the forest, the war whoop of the 
equally wild man and the solemn hoot of the midnight owl 
were the only sounds to greet the ears of the first settler in all 
the vast territory which now comprises this " Glorious Union 
of States." The settlement of this region was begun more 
than two hundred years before the first railroad was built 
upon this planet. There were then no public highways, but 
only here and there an Indian trail to point the new comer 
through the wide wilderness of America. 

This region of America is full of the romances and the 
realities of the experiences of the early years of the first per- 
manent settlement of the English speaking people on this 
Continent. Here it was for the first time that the stroke of 
the axe of the English laid prostrate the standing giants of 
the forests of the new world, and thereby awakened nature 
from its slumbers and sounded new and alarming echoes 
throughout the lands christened "Virginia" by a Virgin 
Queen of the Old "World. It was here that the beasts of the 
wild woods, and the fowls of the air first were shocked to death 
by the burst of the rifle's discharge, and the superstitious 

[5] 



b LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

natives thus forced to believe that the new comers were born 
not of woman but sent armed from the skies with a demon of 
destruction which no other earthly power possessed. It was 
there the first thoughts of human freedom were given birth 
and voice to cheer mankind. The " cradle of liberty for this 
Continent " was first tenanted and rocked there to lull the 
cries of the " child of freedom." It was there the first truly 
representative legislative body of the people assembled on 
t?iis continent. The first sound of praise and thanksgiving 
ever uttered in the language of this nation from a house of 
worship dedicated to God, in the new found world, vibrated 
the air of Tidewater Virginia, and wafted its way to the 
throne of Grace, bespeaking the coming of a new race. It 
was at Jamestown that the first church was built within the 
territory which later comprised the thirteen original States. 
It was in that section that Pocahontas, the untutored 
daughter of a savage chief, though born in the primeval 
forest, first taught the world that " pity and mercy " are the 
inherent qualities of womankind, and are not confined to the 
cultured princesses of the stately palaces of civilization. 

It was here that the first slave set foot upon the mainland 
of this continent. Here it was that the white man first exer- 
cised the right of suffrage, and that trial by jury was first 
granted. The first free school on this continent was started 
in this section. The first manufactures of this continent were 
begun here, and were the first of such products sent from the 
newly found continent to the Old World. 

Tidewater Virginia has produced more eminent and illus- 
trious men of America than any other section of the same 
extent within the boundaries of this nation. Its history has 
inspired the orator, enthused the soldier, and awakened in- 
the statesman suggestions of wisdom, the benefits of which 
this nation is now the recipient. 

Its soil is sprinkled with the blood of the patriots of the 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 7 

Revolution in their successful battling at Yorktown, which 
cheered a weak people in their mighty struggle for final free- 
dom. The marks of many heroic battles for the perpetuation 
of the " Old Union of States," or a disunited nation and a 
" New Confederacy," are yet in plain view in many parts of 
this section of Virginia, bearing evidence of the willing sacri- 
fices which all Americans will make in defense of a principle. 

Tidewater Virginia begins at a gap in the Atlantic Ocean 
shores of Virginia, known as the " Capes of the Chesapeake." 
This gap forms an entrance more than twelve miles in width, 
and within a short distance inland from its mouth it broadens 
into a magnificent stream, in some places nearly forty miles 
wide, and is known as the Chesapeake Bay. The salt waters 
which flow from the Atlantic Ocean into this big bay, through 
its capacious mouth, spread out and form long rivers, such as 
the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac, and shorter streams 
as the York, Piankatank, Yeocomico, Coan, Wicomico, 
Nomini and others too numerous to mention, and inlets, 
creeks, and coves innumerable. The Chesapeake Bay also 
sends its flood of waters to the shores of Maryland, where 
they form innumerable streams throughout that State. 

Tidewater Virginia is divided into nine natural subdi- 
visions, or large (primary) peninsulas, each of which con- 
tains many small (subordinate) peninsulas, no part of which 
is elevated more than 150 feet above sea level. 
The large peninsulas are grouped as follows : 

1. " The Eastern Shore Peninsula," consisting of two 
counties : 

Northampton and Accomac. The first was named in honor 
of the Earl of Northampton; the latter was named after an 
Indian tribe inhabiting that section. Northampton and 
Accomac were ' twice named. The territory composing the 
Eastern Shore of Virginia was first named Accawmake. 
Under this name it was made one of the eight original shires 



'8 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

into which Virginia was divided in 1634, and continued under 
the name of Accawmake until 1642, when it was changed to 
Northampton. In 1672 Accomac was formed from its upper 
part, and the lower part retained the name of Northampton. 
This peninsula begins on the. Atlantic coast at Cape Charles, 
and extends along the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay to the 
Maryland line. It includes the land across to the Atlantic 
coast. 

2, The "Norfolk Peninsula" consisting of two counties: 
Princess Anne, formed in 1691, from Lower Norfolk, 

named in honor of Queen Anne. 

Norfolk, formed in 1691, from part of Lower Norfolk, 
named in honor of Duke of Norfolk. 

This peninsula begins on the Atlantic coast at the North 
Carolina line, extending inland around Cape Henry to the 
mouth of James River. 

3. The " Southside Peninsula " containing seven counties : 
Nansemond was formed in 1639 from Upper Norfolk, and 

named Nansimun after an Indian tribe. In 1645 it was 
changed to Nansemond. 

Isle of Wight, one of the original eight shires formed in 
1634, and known originally as Warrasquake. In 1637 it was 
named in honor of a place in England. 

Southampton, formed in 1784, from Isle of Wight, named 
in honor of Earl of Southampton. 

Sussex, formed in 1753 from Surrey County, named in 
honor of Lord Sussex. 

Surrey, formed in 1652 from James City County, named 
in honor of Lord Surrey. 

Prince George, formed in 1702 from Charles City County, 
named in honor of Prince George, afterwards King George 11. 

Chesterfield, formed in 1748, from Henrico, named in 
honor of P. D. Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield. 

This peninsula is situated on the south side of the James 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIRGINIA V 

Eiver, beginning at its mouth, and extending to " the falls ** 
of that river which flows between Chesterfield and Henrico 
counties. 

4. The " Richmond," or " Chickahominy " Peninsula, con- 
taining two counties : 

Charles City County, one of the original eight shires into 
which Virginia was divided in 1634, named in honor of 
Charles the First. 

Henrico, one of the original eight shires into which Vir- 
ginia was divided in 1634, named in honor of Henry, Prince 
of Wales. 

This peninsula is on the north side of the James, and be- 
tween that river and the Chickahominy. It begins at the 
mouth of the Chickahominy where that stream empties into 
the James, and extends to " the falls " of the latter river, 
which flows between Henrico and Chesterfield counties. 

5. The next peninsula is known as " The Peninsula," con- 
taining six counties : 

Elizabeth City County, one of the original eight shires 
into which Virginia was divided in 1634, named in honor of 
Queen Elizabeth. 

Warwick, one of the original eight shires into which 
Virginia was divided in 1634, then called Warwick Kiver, 
changed to Warwick in 1643, named in honor of Warwick in 
England. 

York, one of the original eight shires into which Virginia 
was divided in 1634, then called Charles Eiver, changed to 
York in 1643, named in honor of Duke of York. 

James City County, one of the original eight shires into 
which Virginia was divided in 1634, named in honor of King 
James I. 

New Kent, formed in 1654, from York, named in honor 
of Kent in England. 

Hanover, formed in 1730, from ISTew Kent, named in honor 
of George I., King of Hanover as well as England. 



10 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

This peninsula begins at Hampton Eoads and Chesapeake 
Bay, its southern boundary, thence up the James Eiver to 
mouth of Chiekahominy, where this stream empties into the 
latter river, thence up the northern bank of Chiekahominy. 
Its eastern and northern boundary is the whole length of the 
south side of York River, thence up the Pamunkey, between 
that river and Chiekahominy. 

6. The " Gloucester Peninsula," containing three counties : 
Gloucester, formed in 1651 from a part of York, named in 

honor of Duke of Gloucester. 

Mathews, formed in 1790, from part of Gloucester, named 
in honor of Governor Mathews. This county is a peninsula 
extending into the Chesapeake Bay, and united to the main 
land by a narrow neck of land. Its lands are so nearly on 
a dead level that there are no running streams of fresh 
water in the county. The grist mills are run by wind or 
tide power. 

King and Queen County, formed in 1691, from New Kent, 
named in honor of King William and Queen Mary. 

This peninsula lies between the York and Piankatank 
Eivers and Chesapeake Bay. 

7. The " King William " or " Pamunkey Peninsula," con- 
taining two counties: 

King William, formed in 1701, from King and Queen, 
named in honor of William III. It lies between the Pamun- 
key and Mattaponi Eivers. 

Caroline, formed in 1727, in the language of the act of 
the House of Burgess, " On the heads of Essex, King and 
Queen, and King William Counties," named in honor of 
Princess Caroline Elizabeth. It lies between the North 
Anna and Eappahannock Eivers. 

8. The " Middlesex Peninsula," containing two counties : 
Middlesex, formed in 1675, from Lancaster, named in 

honor of Middlesex in England. 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 11 

Essex, formed in 1692, from part of " Old Rappahannock '* 
County, named in honor of Earl of Essex. 

Old Rappahannock County was formed in December, 1656, 
from part of Lancaster County. In the language of the 
Act of Assembly : " The upper part of Mr. Bennetts land 
knowne by the name of Naemhock on the south side of the 
eastermost branch of Moratticock Creeke, on the north side 
the river be the lowermost bounds of the upper county. The 
lower county to retaine the name of Lancaster and the upper 
county to be named Rappahannock." 

The territory embraced within what was termed in the act 
as the " Upper County " included Richmond County, on the 
north side of Rappahannock River, and Essex County on the 
south side of same river. 

9. The " Northern Neck of Virginia," now containing five 
counties : 

Lancaster, foimed in 1651, from Northumberland, named 
in honor of Lancaster in England. 

Northumberland County, originally called Chickcoun, 
adjoining Lancaster on the Chesapeake Bay. It originally 
comprised the whole " Neck of land between Rappahannock 
and Potomac Rivers." 

The date when this county was formed is in doubt; it cer- 
tainly contained the first settlement of the whites north of 
Rappahannock River, within all the territory subsequently 
named " The Northern Neck of Virginia;" At what date the 
first settlement was made there is not known. By an Act of 
Assembly in June, 1643, it was felony to settle outside of 
certain limits without permission of the governor a"'^ council. 
It provided "That the Rappahannock River sh .lu remain 
unseated for divers reasons therein contained, n. . Hhstand- 
ing it should and might be lawful for all persons to assume 
grants for lands there," etc. A similar act to that of June, 
1642 was passed in 1647, but in October, 1648, it was re- 



12 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

pealed. Hening's statutes states : " The county was probably 
formed by the Governor and Council during the recess of the 
Legislature" (of 1G42). Notwithstanding the act making 
it felony to settle " in the north side," of the Rappahannock 
Eiver, Northumberland County was represented in the Gene- 
ral Assembly at James City in the session beginning in 
November, 1645, by " Mr. John Matrum." He was the only 
Burgess from the Northern Neck side of Eappahannock 
River, and is named as from " Northumberland," without 
the " County " attached. He probably was accepted from 
the " Plantation of Northumberland." Act of October 12, 
1648, is as follows: "That the inhabitants of Chickcoun, 
and other parts of the neck of land between the Rappahan- 
nock and Potomac Rivers * * * be hereafter called and 
known by the name of Northumberland, and that they have 
the power of electing Burgesses for said County," &c. The 
Act of October, 1646, calls upon the inhabitants of " North- 
umberland " for taxes : " Whereas the inliabitants of 
Chickawane alias Northumberland being members of this 
colony have not hitherto contributed towards the charges of 
War. It is now felt that said inhabitants do make payments 
of the leavy according to such rates as are by the Grand 
Assembly assessed. The inhabitants of Chickawane shall 
alwaies hereafter be liable for taxes." The taxes were 
assessed in tobacco as follows : 

" For every 100 acres of land 15 lbs. of tobacco." 
" For every cow above 3 years old 15 lbs. tobacco." 
In case of " refusal to pay leaxj the inhabitants to be called 
off the plantation " — sent south of the Rappahannock River. 
" Northumberland " was the name given this section in 
honor of the Earl of Northumberland, and that name was 
probably in use there, as well as the Indian name of " Chick- 
coun " or " Chickawane " long before it became a county. 
One of the rivers of this county — Cone or Coan — is an abbre- 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 13 

viation of Secacaconies, an Indian tribe once located on that 
stream. The first public official announcement of the name 
of Northumberland occurs in the 9th Act of Assembly, Feb- 
ruary, 1644-5, providing for the erection of three forts, viz.: 
one at "Pamunkey" (West Point), named Fort Eoyal, one 
at the "Falls of James Eiver " (Kichmond), named Fort 
Charles, and the third on the ridge at " Chicquohominie '' 
(near Bottoms Bridge), named Fort James, as follows: 
" And be it explained and confirmed by the authorities that 
the associating courties on the south side of the river are 
hereby to contribute towards the maintainance of the 
(Indian) war on that side, without any expectation of any 
contribution from the north side, and so likewise on the 
north side by themselves including Northampton and North- 
umberland.'* From the above one would conclude it had been 
made a county at, or prior to 1644, but the writers of the 
early period, except Hening, were content with their own 
knowledge that Northumberland was but a " Plantation " in 
1644-45. The earliest court records now in the clerk's office 
of that county are dated 1653. Some of the court records 
were burned many years ago, therefore it is not known what 
dates the records bore which were destroyed. The old books 
are bound with oak board backs, covered with heavy leather. 
They contain much of interest in the matter of curious wills, 
and surprising items relating to the sentences imposed by 
the courts for offenses (stated in the plainest words of the 
English language), which under the present day ruling of the 
courts would meet with less rigorous punishment. 

Richmond County, formed in 1692, from old Rappahan- 
nock, named in honor of Duke of Richmond. 

Westmoreland County, formed in 1653, from Northumber- 
land, named after Westmoreland in England. The first men- 
tion of Westmoreland County is in an Act of Assembly of 
Jidy, 1653, by which " It is ordered that the bounds of the 



14 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

County of Westmoreland be as follows, viz. ; from Machoac- 
toke Eiver, where Mr. Cole lives, and so upwards to the falls 
of the great river Pawtomake, above Nescostines towne." 
Nescostines towne referred to was probably a settlement of 
Indians at the place now known as " Anacostia," on the 
Eastern Branch, now in the District of Columbia. West- 
moreland County under this Act extended to " the falls of the 
Potomac," which would include the territory now comprising 
the counties of King George, Stafford, Prince William, Fair- 
fax and Alexandria. 

King George County, formed in 1720, from Eichmond 
County, named in honor of King George I. 

These five counties are formed within a peninsula, the 
southern and eastern boundaries being the mouths of the 
Eappahannock, and Potomac rivers. 

Many persons include the County of Stafford in the present 
"Northern Neck of Virginia." To include this county 
would bring the Northern Neck opposite to the City of 
Fredericksburg, and beyond it to include the limits of the 
whole county. The city of Fredericksburg is in Spotsylvania 
County, and lies on the southern banks of the Eappahannock, 
at the " falls " of that river — the head of tidewater of that 
stream. 

vAhe original " Northern Neck of Virginia " distinguishes 
this peninsula as being once the seat of the largest individual 
land holdings ever in America. In 1661, Charles II, of 
England made a grant of land in America to Lord Hopton 
and others, which included : " All that entire tract, territory 
and parcel of land, lying and being in America, and bounded 
by and within the headwaters of the rivers Tappahannock 
alias Eappahannock, and Quiriough alias Potomac rivers, the 
course of the said rivers as they are commonly called and 
known by the inhabitants, and description of their parts and 
Chesapeake Bay." This was sold by the original patentees to 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 15 

Lord Culpeper in 1683^ and later was confirmed to him by 
letters patent in the fourth year of the reign of James II, of 
England. The elder — Thomas 5th — Lord Fairfax, married 
the only daughter of Lord Culpeper. These lands descended 
to the son by this marriage — Lord Thomas Fairfax, Sixth 
Baron of Cambridge. He came to Virginia in 1739 to look 
after this estate. This immense tract included the territory 
now comprising the counties of Lancaster, Northumberland, 
Eichmond, Westmoreland, King George, Stafford, Prince 
William, Fauquier, Fairfax, Loudon, Culpeper, Clarke, 
Madison, Page, Shenandoah and Frederick, in the present 
limits of the State of Virginia, and Hardy, Hampshire, Mor- 
gan, Berkeley and Jefferson, now within the State of West 
Virginia ; the whole estate comprising nearly 6,000,000 acres. 
It was said that the first grant was only intended to in- 
clude the territory between the Rappahannock and Potomac 
rivers east of the Blue Eidge Mountains. Wlien Fairfax 
discovered that the Potomac Eiver headed in the Alleghany 
Mountains he went to England and instituted his petition in 
the Court of the Kings Bench for extending his grant into 
the Alleghany Mountains, so as to include the territory now 
composing the counties of Page, Shenandoah, and Frederick, 
in Virginia, and Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and 
Jefferson, now in West Virginia. A compromise was 
effected between Fairfax and the Crown, in which it was 
stipulated that the holders of lands, under what then were 
called "Kings grants," were to be quieted in their right of 
possession. Fairfax, under certain pretexts took it upon him- 
self to grant away large quantities of these Crown granted 
lands to individuals other than those occupying or claiming 
them under the Crown grants, and thereby produced numer- 
- 0U8 lawsuits. His title was disputed on every hand. The 
northern boundary was disputed by the Maryland proprietary, 
and his eastern and southern boundaries were disputed by 
many settlers upon it. On the Maryland side the question 



16 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

was which of the two head streams of the Potomac was in- 
tended to be the northern boundary of Lord Culpeper's pur- 
chase in 1683. In Virginia the dispute was concerning 
the grants to settlers east of the Alleghanies, and also as to 
which of the two head streams of the Eappahannock was the 
Fairfax limits : " The Conway " (confluent of the Eapidan), 
or the Eappahannock, between these being all the land now 
comprised by the counties of Culpeper, Madison and Eappa- 
hannock. 

On a petition of Lord Fairfax, the King appointed a " Com- 
mission " for running out and marking the limits of his 
patent. The three Commissioners for the Crown were 
Colonel William Byrd, of Westover, John Eobinson, and 
John Grymes. Lord Fairfax appointed William Fairfax, 
William Beverley and Charles Carter. In 1746 an expedition 
of forty gentlemen, amongst whom were Beverley, Lomax, 
Lewis, Lightfoot, Hedgman, Peter Jefferson, and young 
George Washington, started from Fredericksburg to survey 
and define the boundaries of " The Korthern Neck of Vir- 
ginia." This expedition laid the " Fairfax Stone " at the 
head spring of the Potomac. Lord Fairfax opened an office 
in the county — Fairfax — which was named in his honor. 
There he granted out his lands until a few years thereafter 
when he removed to Frederick County, and settled at a place 
he called " Greenway Court," twelve or fourteen miles south- 
east of Winchester, where he led a sort of hermit life, and 
kept his office during the remainder of his life. He died 
December 12, 1781, soon after hearing of the surrender of 
Cornwallis at Yorktown. It is said that as soon as he learned 
of the capture of Cornwallis and his army, he called his ser- 
vant to assist him to bed, observing : " It is time for me to 
die," and he never again left his bed until he was consigned 
to his tomb. His body was deposited under the Communion 
table in the then Episcopal church in Winchester. 

The lands were granted by Fairfax in fee simple to his 




Locust Tree 

III lawn where stood the house in which 
President Monroe was born, Westmore- 
land County, Va. The iield in which 
this tree now stands is owned by Rev. 
Cornelius Stuart, a negro Baptist preacher. 
It is tradition that this tree stood in the 
lawn in front of the house. It is very 
(.Id and much decayed. This site over- 
looks Monroe creek and Potomac river. 




Log Cabin, Corn Houses and Barns, on Wakefield Estate, 
the Birthplace of George Washington. 

William H. Washington, a distant relative of George Washington, standing on pile of corn Loba. 



THE PENINSULAS OP TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 17 

tenants, subject to an annual rent of two shillings sterling 
per hundred acres, added to which he required the payment 
of ten shillings sterling on each fifty acres, which he termed 
"composition money/' and which was to be paid upon the 
issuing of the grant. In 1785 the legislature of Virginia 
passed an Act, in which among other provisions, in relation 
to the jSTorthern Neck, is the following : " And be it further 
enacted, that the land owners within the said district of the 
Northern Neck shall be forever hereafter exonerated and dis- 
charged from composition and quitrents, any law, custom or 
usage, to the contrary notwithstanding." 

The present limits of the Northern Neck of Virginia have 
earned a far greater distinction than that of its connection 
with the largest individual proprietorship of lands. Within its 
borders were born some of the most illustrious men, who were 
conspicuous in the shaping of the destinies of the American 
people. Of the seven Presidents of the United States who 
were born in Virginia, but two of them were born outside of 
the tidewater section: Thos. Jefferson, born in Albemarle 
County, and Zachary Taylor, born in Orange County. Of 
the remaining five Presidents, three were born in the North- 
ern Neck of Virginia — George Washington, and James Mon- 
roe, both born in Westmoreland County, and James Madison, 
born in the adjoining county of King George. The other two 
Presidents — William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler, were 
born in Charles City County. The Northern Neck of Vir- 
ginia is greatly distinguished and honored as the birthplace 
of "Mary" (Ball), "The Mother of Washington," born at 
" Epping Forest," Lancaster County, in 1707. She died at 
Mt. Vernon, Fairfax County, August 25, 1789. 

Westmoreland County was also the birthplace of the 
" Lees " — "Light Horse Harry Lee," and others of that 
family, including General " Robert E. Lee." 

The Northern Neck is the longest of all the peninsula8 
comprising Tidewater Virginia. It extends from the Chesa- 



18 LIFE IN OLD VIKGIKIA 

peake Ba}' shores to the head of tidewater, upon the Bappa- 
hannock Eiver; a distance of more than ISO miles. 

Tidewater Virginia extends beyond the confines of the 
counties named as being within the nine peninsulas herein 
mentioned. It also includes the five counties on the upper 
tidewater section of the Potomac Eiver, to " the falls/' viz. : 

Stafford, formed in 1675, from Westmoreland, named in 
honor of Lord Stafford. 

Spotsylvania, formed in 1720, from Essex, King William 
and King and Queen, and named in honor of Alexander Spots- 
wood, a Governor of Virginia. 

Prince William, formed in 1730, from King George and 
Stafford, named in honor of William, Duke of Cumberland. 

Fairfax, formed in 1742, from Prince William, named in 
honor of Lord Fairfax, the proprietor of the Northern Neck. 

Alexandria County, was originally a part of Fairfax county, 
and was ceded to the United States, to become a part of the 
District of Columbia for the seat of the Federal Government. 
In 1847 it was retroceded to Virginia, and organized as a 
county. 

These five counties are by some authorities assigned to the 
*' Tidewater Divisions," and by others they are classed as 
being in the " Middle Virginia " section. They are inter- 
sected by tidal streams through their lands, the greater part 
of which is on the fresh water section of tidewater. 

The soil of Tidewater Virginia is variable in its formation 
and fertility. The lands at the mouths of the Potomac and 
Rappahannock Rivers are low, and composed mainly of sand 
and clay, devoid of stones or rocks. As the lands advance up 
the " Northern Neck," there is evidence of pebbles, cobble 
stones, and finally a rocky formation appears upon their 
surface. On "the ridge" — the central region between the 
rivers, Rappahannock and Potomac — is found the least fertile 
of all its soils. Such is the case in all of the peninsulas, as 



THE PENINSULAS OF TIDEWATER VIKGINIA 19 

one goes from the east to the west. On the ridges can bo 
seen bare sand hills free from vegetation even during the 
season of verdure on the surrounding lands, and seamed into 
unshapely gulleys by the rains and snows of centuries. In 
these sections can be found log cabins, and " slab " dwellings 
and outhouses, and " pine brush arbor cuppens " (shelters) 
for cattle. Fortunately there is but a small percentage of 
this character of land in old Virginia. Its loss of fertility is 
due mainly to the improvident and neglectful modes of cul- 
tivation practiced in the early years, by taking everything 
off the land and returning nothing to it. These poor lands 
when " turned out " grow good pine, and oak timber on the 
higher parts, and poplar and other woods in and around the 
gulleys. 

The lands on the sides of the ridges sloping gradually down 
to the rivers, present evidence of greater fertility, especially 
as they reach what is known as the "river bottom lands." 
These lower sections were early selected by the wealthiest 
planters, whose holdings were generally large, and whose 
dwelling houses were commensurate with their wealth and 
prosperity. Some of these old time dwelling houses are fine 
specimens of the architecture and splendor of their period. 
There are several of these old time dwellings yet standing 
along the James, York, Potomac and Eappahannock rivers. 
Among the number is " Stratford," the birthplace of General 
Eobert E. Lee, in Westmoreland County. This dwelling and 
many of the outhouses — former servants quarters — are built 
of brick, and are yet in a good state of preservation. From 
the upper part of this dwelling house a beautiful view can be 
had of the Potomac Eiver, and surrounding streams, and 
woodlands. The original tract contained nearly 3000 acres. 
A part of it is yet in the possession of a descendant of the 
Lee family. There are no remains of the dwellings in which 
either Washington, Monroe or Madison were born. Along 
the James are Westover, Sherley, Lower Brandon and other 



20 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

well-known plantations. The ancient and the modern life is 
seen almost side by side in old Virginia. In contrast with 
the log cabins and slab houses above mentioned and the 
stately colonial mansions, there can be seen prettily designed 
and costly dwellings, some of which have the most modern 
appliances for comfort and convenience. Throughout the 
whole of Tidewater Virginia since the Civil War, there have 
been very great improvements in the manner of tilling the 
soil, also in the diversity of crops, and in the erection of 
better dwellings for the poorer classes of its inhabitants. 
The improvements in agriculture have brought about a diver- 
sity of occupation for the laboring people, who now find 
abundant and lucrative employment in the raising of " truck," 
fruits and oysters. The canning industry is extensively con- 
ducted throughout the N'orthern Neck in nearly every portion 
convenient to the navigable streams, as transportation by 
water is the only means by which these products can reach 
the outside markets from the several counties now comprising 
this "Neck." 

Of Tidewater- Virginia it might be said : 

It lies prone and quiet, far below the high-peaked moun- 
tains. 

The contour and the shape of Tidewater Virginia, especially 
of the salt water section, contain nothing akin to the tempest 
scarred and rugged mountain scenery of the interior of this 
continent. On the contrary, it lies prone and quiet, far be- 
low the high-peaked mountains and their offspring, the low 
hills, which nature in its most violent efforts forced from the 
mountain side. Its gradual formation gently forced back the 
deep waters of the Atlantic from their beds, and made land 
appear where before was a watery waste. The lowlands of 
Virginia are but the offspring of the mountains in their 
mighty contests with nature's elements — the frosts, and snows, 
and rains of uncounted centuries. The mountain streams 
find their outlet to the tidal waters at the "falls" of the 



THE PENINSULAS OE TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 21 

several rivers. They are the tears of joy which trickle down 
the mountain's face as it views from its high peaks the ver- 
dure, quiet, and beauty of its lowland offspring. The numer- 
ous streams throughout Tidewater Virginia can be made to 
produce as much wealth as can be produced from its lands. 
Oysters of the finest flavor, and fish of nearly every edible 
species are found in its waters. Many of these streams wind 
their tortuous way far into the interior of the many little 
peninsulas. They add a charm to the landscape as they 
sharply turn a point of land, and hide beyond it to appear 
again farther away. To follow them in their gambols, one 
has only to seek some high point of land and he is charmed 
by the sight which nature in her freak of Jollity has bestowed 
to this section of America. The forests are composed mainly 
of pine, which always carry an emerald hue upon their boughs, 
and thus form a pleasing sight during the winter months in 
comparison with the harder woods which shed their leaves in 
autumn, and shiver in their bare limbs during the chilly 
winter, until spring in its compassionate mood grants them 
cover and makes them again things of beauty. 



CHAPTEE III 
The Indians of Virginia 



When America was discovered, there were at least three 
distinct conditions of life amongst the Indian tribes inhabit- 
ing North America, The least advanced tribes were those in 
the valley of the Columbia, in the Hudson Bay Territory, in 
parts of Canada, California, and Mexico. The use and art of 
pottery, and the cultivation of gardens, or fields were unknown 
to these tribes. 

The second, ov intermediate class were those who subsisted 
upon fish, game, and the products of a limited cultivation of 
the soil. Many of them lived in stockaded villages. Such 
were the tribes of Virginia and New England, and the 
Creeks, Choctaws, Shawnees, Miamis, and others east of the 
Missouri River, and certain tribes in Mexico. 

The third class were the tribes who depended upon horti- 
culture for subsistence, cultivating maize and plants by irri- 
gation. They constructed joint tenement houses of adobe 
bricks and stone, and lived together in villages. Such tribes 
were found in New Mexico and Mexico. 

The Indians whom the colonists first met in Virginia and 
with whom they had to deal later on, were members of the 
Powhatan Confederacy, a part of the Algonquin stock whose 
tribes extended from Cape Hatteras to Newfoundland. 

The Powhatan Confederacy inhabited the Virginia tide- 
water section from the sea coast westward to the falls of the 
rivers James, Rappahannock, and Potomac, extending into 
the tidewater section of Maryland as far north as the Patux- 

[22] 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 23 

ent Eiver, and southward to Carolina. It was composed of 
between thirty and forty tribes, the far greater number of 
whom were women and children. Accidents incident to 
hunting wild animals, and the frequent warring between 
tribes decimated the ranks of the men. In the wars the 
women and children were usually taken captive to become a 
part of the victorious tribe. 

Each of the tribes was governed by inferior kings — Wero- 
wances — who paid tribute from the products of the chase, and 
of the soil to the great chief, or emperor, called Powhatan, 
whose subjects they and all their tribe were to his will. 

The Powhatan, known to history, was between sixty and 
seventy years of age when the first colony reached Virginia. 
He was tall and powerfully built, and able to endure much 
fatigue. He was a man of exceptional valor and judgment, 
though tyrannous in his commands, and cruel in his punish- 
ments. He caused the heads of those who offended him " to 
be laid upon the altar or sacrificing stone and their brains 
beaten out with clubs;" others were tied to a tree, and their 
joints cut off with oyster or clam shells, and their skin 
scraped from their head and face, and their bodies ripped 
open and burned.^ 

^In passing it is well to note some of the practices among 
Europeans at the opening of the 17th century and to compare 
with the Indian cruelties. Women were dragged about in 
public and ducked in ponds or rivers at the risk of their lives 
because they scolded or complained of their hardships and bad 
treatment. Men were imprisoned for debts which they could 
not pay, or condemned to die for their refusal or neglect to 
profess a religion which they could not believe in. Hell's fire, 
was constantly kept in the mind's view of the young and the old, 
while the pure love of God, and of man too often was trampled 
into the deep mire by superstitious teachers. The insane were 
believed to be possessed of the devil, and Instead of receiving 
humane treatment they were chained to the floor In garrets or 
other Isolated places. Stocks for punishment were In evidence 
wherever courts of law were held, and men were nailed to thece 



24 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINLA. 

Powhatan lived in savage splendor surrounded by as many 
women as lie willed : " whereof when he lieth on his bed one 
sitteth at his head, and another at his feet, but when he 
sitteth, one (woman) sitteth on his right hand and another 
on his left, when he dineth or suppeth, one of his women 
before and after meal, brought him water in a wooden plat- 
ter to wash his hands. Another waiteth with a bunch of 
feathers to wipe them instead of a towel, and the feathers 
when he hath wiped are dried again. As he is weary of his 
women he bestows them on those that best deserve them at 
his hands." He was usually attended by a guard of forty 
or fifty of the tallest men found in his kingdom, and at night 
his dwelling place was guarded with sentinels who " every 
half hour sliouted while shaking their lips with the fingers 
between." Part of the territory over which he ruled came to 
him by inheritance, the greater part by conquest. The rule 
of descent of his government was, upon his death, first to his 
brethren, and after that to his sisters, and then to the heirs, 
male or female of the eldest sister. In all his ancient inheri- 
tances he had houses built for his entertainment. Powhatan 
died in April, 1618, and was buried at the place known as 
Powhatan, on the James Eiver. 

The habitations of the Virginia Indians were built like 
arbors, of small young saplings bowed and tied, and covered 
v\dth mats of rushes, or the bark of trees " very handsomely, 
that notwithstanding either wind, rain, or weather, they are 
warm as stoves, but very smoky, yet at the top of the house 
there is a hole made for the smoke to go into right over the 

instruments of torture within the public gaze to add to their 
punishment by becoming the laughing stock of passersby. 
Men's ears were cropped from their head, thereby forever 
fastening upon them a mark of disgrace to carry to their death, 
and much of these cruelties were inflicted for deeds such as 
are at present day admitted by the intelligent as so trivial that 
no provision of law is deemed necessary for their prevention. 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 25 

fire." Houses were built in the midst of their fields or gar- 
dens, or by the river side, " not far distant from some fresh 
spring." The shell hanJcs upon the shores of the tidewaters 
indicate the sites of the former Indian villages. 

Their fire was kindled by friction by rapidly revolving 
between the palms of the hands a pointed stick pressed 
within a hole in a block of wood, surrounded by dry moss, or 
leaves : " Against the fire they lie on little hurdles of reeds 
covered with a mat, borne from the ground a foot or more by 
a hurdle of wood. On these round about the house they lie 
heads and points one by the other against the fire, some cov- 
ered with mats, some with skins, and some stark naked lie 
en the ground, from 6 to 20 in a house." 

The Indians lived chiefly by hunting, together with the 
products of the water, supplemented by the products of the 
soil which consisted mainly of corn and pumpkins, together 
with the roots of artichoke — Tochnough. An old writer 
said : " It is strange to see how their bodies alter with their 
diet, even as the deer and wild beast they seem fat and lean, 
strong and weak. Powhatan, their great king, and some 
others that are provident, roast their fish and flesh upon 
hurdles, and keep it until scarce times. If any great 
commander arrive at the habitation of a Werowance (king 
of a tribe), they spread a mat as do the Turks, for a carpet 
for him to sit upon. Upon another right opposite they sit 
themselves. Then do all with a terrible voice of shouting 
bid him welcome. After this do two or more of their chief est 
men make an oration, testifying their love, which they do 
with such vehemency, and so great passions, that they sweat 
till they drop, and are so out of breath they can scarce 
speak. So that a man would take them to be exceeding 
angiy, or stark mad. Such victual as they have, they spend 
freely, and at night where his lodging is appointed they set 
a woman fresh painted red with Pocones and oyle to be his 
bed fellow." 



26 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The men spent their time in fishing, hunting, and in 
warring npon one another, "scorning to be seen in any 
womanlike exercise, which is the cause that the women be- 
very painfull, and the men idle.'^ The women planted and 
tended the crops, pounded the corn, made mats, pots, baskets, 
and bore all the burdens of labor. The mothers were fond 
of their children and never punished them, hoping thereby 
they would grow to be brave and courageous. To make 
them hardy, they were bathed in the rivers during all seasons 
of the year, and their bodies painted and anointed with 
oils or grease. 

Their clothing consisted of loose mantles of turkey 
feathers, or the skins of wild animals, and aprons of the same 
material bound about the lower body. The less provident 
were covered with mats of rushes, grass or leaves. Their 
feet in winter were covered with deer skins. The women 
tattooed their faces, breast, arms, and legs with shapes of 
beasts and serpents. In their ears some had holes to hang 
chains or bracelets. In these holes some v/ore a small green, 
or yellow snake, which lapped itself about their neck, often 
coming in contact with the lips of the wearers. Their heads 
and shoulders when in full dress were painted red with 
Pocone. 

During the late fall and winter months, they left their 
habitations by the rivers and separating into companies of a 
hundred or more, they built arbors for shelter in the forests, 
and lived by hunting. During these Journeys, the women 
carried all the supplies and built the shelters while the men 
hunted. 

Their manner of hunting deer was to surround the drove 
with many fires, and betwixt the fires were stationed men who 
shouted and scared the animals into the circle, where they 
were chased by the hunters, Wliere it was convenient and 
possible, the deer were driven into some narrow point of land 
and forced into the river where the hunters lay in wait in 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 2i! 

boats to shoot them with arrows, or to kill them with clubs." 
The principal weapons of the Indians were clubs of hard 
knotty wood, or a stone sharpened at both ends and secured 
by deer thongs to a handle, swords from the horn of a deer 
put through a hole in a piece of wood in the form of a pick- 
axe, and the bow and arrows v/hich all the tribes in iSTorth 
America carried. The arrows were made of straight, young, 
tough sprigs, headed with bone two or three inches long. 
These they use for hunting small game. The better sort 
were made of reeds pieced with wood, and headed with 
splinters of flinty stone, the spurs of a turkey, or the bill of 
some large bird, fastened thereon with glue made by boiling 
the tips of deer horns to a jelly. With the bow and arrow, 
their best shots could hit the mark on the level about forty 
yards, and their arrows could be shot at random about 120 
yards by pointing well upward. For a knife, they used a 
piece of reed rubbed to a sharp point; with this implement 
they could un joint a deer, shape the skin for moccasins or 
mantel, and for such other purposes. 

The Indians deified all things which could harm them be- 
yond prevention, as fire, water, lightning, thunder, winds. 

^It is well at this point to recall how the English in colonial 
days hunted deer. The common method v/as by " driving " 
them. When the hunt began, men were stationed with guns at 
certain places — " stands " — to the leeward of the locality of the 
deer's lair, or where they were supposed to be feeding. The 
hunters in charge of the hounds advanced from the windward 
side so that the animals would scent them, and so force the deer, 
in their attempts to escape, to run to the leeward " stands," with- 
out being able to scent the men stationed there. When the air 
was so calm that the " windward " and " leeward " could not be 
determined by its motion, a hunter would place his middle finger 
in his mouth long enough to moisten and warm it, and then hold 
it aloft, and the part which first became chilled would indicate 
the windward side. 



28 LIPE IN OLD VIKGINIA 



" Through God begetting feare, 
Man's blinded minde did reare, 
A hell God to the ghosts; 
A heaven God to the hoasts; 
Yea! God unto the seas; 
Fear did create all these." 

Their chief God was fashioned after their own form, 
carved from wood, painted and adorned with such trinkets 
as they could make for him. He was kept in sacred houses 
remote from the resident villages, which priests and kings 
only were permitted to visit. 

These houses were also the sepulchres of their kings whose 
bodies were first boweled, then dried, lapped in skins and 
rolled in mats, with their trinkets set at their feet in baskets. 
For ordinary burials, holes were dug in the earth with sharp 
stakes, and sticks placed therein on which the bodies were 
laid covered with skins or mats, and the graves filled with 
earth. 

After the burial, the women painted their faces with char- 
coal and grease or oil, and mourned for twenty-four hours 
by turns crying and yelling to express their grief.^ 

The priests and conjurers were selected from amongst 
those who as cliildren were subjected to the yearly sacrifice of 
children, by being forced to run through a lane on which 
men were stationed on both sides with reeds, who beat each 

^It is humorously related that it was the custom of a certain 
tribe at the burial of one of their members for each of the males 
to pass around the grave and drop a clod of earth upon it and say 
something of the good qualities of the dead. Upon the occasion 
of the death of one of this tribe who was despised because of 
his meanness, the members assembled as was usual, and each 
one passed around the grave, and dropped his clod of earth in 
silence. The chief whose duty it was to close the ceremonies 
picked up a handful of earth, and with solemn voice exclaimed, 
as he hurled the dirt with force upon the grave, " My brother 
was a good smoker." 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 29 

child as he was escorted therefrom by young men chosen for 
the purpose, after which they were kept nine months " in the 
wilderness " under the charge of the young men, " during 
which time they must not converse with any." Many of the 
children died from their wounds and exposure. This sacrifice 
was held to be so necessary, "that if omitted their Okee or 
Devil, and their other Gods would let them have no Deere, 
Turkies, Corne, nor fish." Such ceremony as this was per- 
formed in 1608, by one of the tribes within ten miles of 
Jamestown. 

" Their devotion was most in songs which the chief priest 
beginneth and the rest followed him, sometimes he maketh 
invocations with broken sentences by starts and strange pas- 
sions, and at every pause the rest give a short groane." 

They observed no day more sacred than another. They 
had solemnities in times of great distress of sickness or want 
of food, fear of enemies, times of triumph, and gathering of 
their harvests. At such times, they usually make a great 
fire, "and sing and dance about it with rattles and shouts 
together, four or five hours. Sometimes they set a man in 
the midst, and about him they dance and sing, he all the 
while clapping his hands, as if he would keep time, and after 
their songs and dancings ended they goe to their feasts." 

The leading tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy was that 
from which the Pamunkey River takes its name. The chief 
of this tribe at the date of the final settlement at Jamestown 
was Opechancanough, the eldest brother of Powhatan, and his 
successor after his death. This chief was a man of remark- 
able skill and ability as a ruler. It was he who made the 
famous capture of Captain John Smith while hunting with 
his tribe up the Chickahominy Eiver; and it was he who 
planned the massacre of the colony in 1622. His principal 
Beat was on the peninsula, or point of land where West Point, 
King William County, is now situated, between the Mattaponi 
and Pamunkey rivers, at the head of York River, which 
these two streams form. 



30 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Notwithstanding Opecliancanough's prowess as a warrior, 
and though surrounded by his whole tribe, Captain John 
Smith on the occasion of a visit to his seating place, to pro- 
cure corn for the colony, when he discovered this chief was 
attempting to betray him, seized Opechancanough by the hair, 
and pointing a pistol at his head forced him before all his 
warriors to the humiliation of compelling his men to throw 
down their arms and load Smith's boats with corn. After 
the massacre of the whites, this chief was captured, and while 
a prisoner at Jamestown was basely shot and killed by one 
of his white guards. 

Directly opposite " White House Landing," where George 
Washington courted the widow Custis, who afterwards be- 
came his bride, is the Pamunkey Indian Reservation, known 
as " Indian Town." The settlement is about a mile east of 
the Wliite House, across the Pamunkey Eiver, distant about 
twenty-one miles east of Richmond City, immediately on the 
line of the York River division of the Southern Railway. It 
comprises about eight hundred acres, ceded to the tribe by 
the General Assembly of Virginia. About one-third of the 
reservation is good farming land; the remainder consists of 
woods and swamp, which up to a few years ago was well 
stocked with game, such as deer, raccoons, opossums, otter, 
muskrats, birds, turkeys, and wild geese and ducks in the 
fall and spring, during their migrations. Adjacent to the 
reservation are several large marshes in the Pamunkey River, 
which up to recent years were used as commons by these 
people for the hunt. These marshes are nov/ held by the 
adjacent land owners who use them as private grounds, or 
rent them to associations, or clubs of city men, thus curtail- 
ing the privileges heretofore granted this tribe. 

The writer, during a visit to this reservation in August, 
1906, was informed by their chief, that the privilege here- 
tofore granted of hunting upon the wooded lands of private 
property adjacent to their reservation is also curtailed, and 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 31 

because of these changes many of their young men seek em- 
ployment outside the reservation, especially during the fish- 
ing season, in the Northern Lakes, and the sea coast and its 
adjacent waters. " With the money saved in these employ- 
ments," said he, " they usually return here and build, or pur- 
chase dwelling houses for their use upon the lands allotted 
them." 

Their chief occupations are hunting, fishing, and the cul- 
tivation of truck patches and corn for their cv'n uses. They 
also find employment as guides to hunting and fishing 
parties around the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers and 
vicinities. In the autumn season sora are plentiful in the 
marshes of these inland rivers of Virginia. The Indian 
method of capturing sora at night is by building a bright 
fire in a " sora horse." This implement is made of strips of 
iron fashioned in the form of a peach basket. They were 
formerly made of clay, like a deep platter. When in use, 
the '' horse " is mounted on a pole which is stuck in the. 
marsh or placed upright in the bateau. A fire of pine light 
wood knots is then kindled in the "horse." The bright 
flames attract the sora, and as tliey fly around it, the Indians 
knock them down with paddles. 

The reseWation belongs to the tribe as a whole. There 
is no individual ownership of land. Improvements, such as 
houses, are individual property, to be bought and sold at 
pleasure. Land is allotted to each head of a family, to be 
his generally for life unless a new division is necessary to 
provide for others. The tribe is restrained by the terms of 
the grant from alienating the land. The reservation is not 
taxed by the State, but the chief presents an annual tribute 
of wild turkeys, geese, or ducks, to the Governor of Vir- 
ginia. The State maintains a free school on the reservation 
for the benefit of the Indian children. They receive no 
other aid from the State or Kational Government. The 
writer upon inquiry of their chief in August, 1906, was in- 



3)8 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

formed that there were one hundred and sixty-one members, 
men, women, and children belonging to the reservation. 
None but those of Indian blood are permitted to reside within 
its limits. They are quiet, orderly people and are all mem- 
bers of the one small frame Baptist church, where hangs the 
picture of Pocahontas above the pulpit. It is said there has 
been a considerable intermixture of white blood, and some 
little of the negro in the tribe, and that therefore because of 
the many intermarriages there is no member of full Indian 
blood. 

Their present chief, George M. Cook, whose Indian name 
is " Cayatayita," is dignified and genteel in appearance, and 
has the distinguishing marks of the Indian, in his copper- 
colored skin, and long, straight, black hair and eyes. 

In his family he maintains the English Christian names, 
and the Indian names for each of his children, as given the 
writer : 

English name. Indian name. 

T. 0. Cook Mina-Ha-Ha 

Major T. Cook Eed Shirt 

Otigney Pontiac Cook Pontiac 

George T. Cook Iron Bull 

Tecumseh Deerfoot Cook Teeumseh 

Captola Eulalia Cook • Captola 

Theodora Cook Minnie-Ha-Ha 

Pocahontas Cook. Pocahontas. 

They know but few words of the ancient tongue of their 
forefathers. Their houses are frame, weather-boarded struc- 
tures, one and a half or two stories high. They dress as the 
whites, but are fond of gaudy colors. They make some 
articles of clay which is found a few feet beneath the surface 
within the reservation. The writer was given several clay 
pipes fashioned in the form of tomahawks, moccasins, and 




Rope Ferry over Mattaponi River, from West Point, King William Co., 

Va., to " Shackleford's Landing, in King and Queen Co., 

conveying the United States Mail and Passengers. 

within about two miles of this ferry in King William County, was the seat of Opechancanough. King 
of the Pamunkey Indians, and brother of Powhatan. This ferry is within two miles of West Point, 
where the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers join to form the York river. 



^^^HH^^^^BSfB^ll^^^^P 




^^. "'- ■-' 






^■■■■^ 




yuj^upu^i^^ 


[ 


^^^»«w*!^^^r 





Ruins of "White House," on Pamunkey River, Virginia. 

Here lived the Widow Custis, who became the wife of Washington. A glimpse of the Pamunkey 
River to the right, Pamunkey Indian Reservation beyond, across the river. 



THE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA 33 

hatchets. Another article of interest made of clay is the 
"' pipe of joy." In the bowl of this pipe are five holes made 
for the insertion of five stems, one for the chief and one for 
each of the four councilmen. The smoking of a pipe during 
a peace conference was an ancient custom amongst the 
Indians. 

There is a ferry within nine or ten miles of the reservation 
known as " Piping Tree " ferry. It is tradition that at this 
place the whites, and Indians of this tribe met and formed 
a treaty, and at its conclusion as usual, the pipe was passed 
from mouth to mouth for each to take a puff as evidence of 
good faith and friendship, after which the pipe was deposited 
in a hollow tree near by the river's side. In after time when 
disagreements arose because of the whites failing to live up 
to their agreement, the Indians would remind them of " pipe- 
in-tree." 

At the date of settlement at Jamestown, in 1607, the 
Pamunkey tribe was the largest of all the several tribes com- 
posing the Powhatan Confederacy which dominated Tide- 
water Virginia, and it had to contend for its supremacy 
mainly with the two other great tribes who lived on the head 
waters of the three largest streams of Tidewater Virginia, 
namely, the Monocans who occupied the territory of the 
upper James Eiver, beyond the falls, and the Mannahoacs who 
occupied the head waters of the Eappahannock and Potomac 
rivers. 

The Pamunkey tribe is governed by a chief together with a 
council of four men. The chief was formerly elected for life, 
but now both chief and council are elected to serve four 
years, by vote of the male citizens of the tribe. When the 
election of a chief is to be had, the council names two can- 
didates to be voted for. Those favoring candidate " Number 
1 '* indicate their choice by depositing a grain of corn in the 
ballot box at the school house, while those who favor the 
election of candidate " Number 2 " must deposit a bean in 
3 



34 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

the same place. The candidate for whom the largest number 
of beans, or of grains of corn is cast is declared chosen. 

The State of Virginia appoints five trustees who have the 
right of approval or disapproval of the Indian code of laws. 
The legislative and judicial powers are performed by the 
chief, together with the council. In the judicial proceedings 
the chief acts more the part of judge, and the council the 
part of jury. The chief and council try all the cases of in- 
fringements of the law, and settle all disputes between mem- 
bers of the tribe. Their jurisdiction extends to all cases 
arising on the reservation, and which concern only the 
residents thereon, with the exception of trial for homicide, 
in which the offender would be arraigned before the County 
Court of King William County. The following extracts in- 
dicate something of their intelligence in law making: 

" 1st. Ees. ISTo member of the Pamimkey tribe shall inter- 
marry with any Nation except White or Indian under penalty 
of forfeiting their rights in Town." 

" 5th. Anny party or person found guilty of stealing 
annything belonging to annyone else they shall pay the party 
for the amt. that are stolen from them and also shall be fined 
from $1 to $5. 3rd time they are to be removed from the 
place." 

" 9th. Be it known that all the citizens age 16 to 60 of 
Indian Town shall work on the road as far as red hill and 
anny member refuse to work shall be fined 75c. and Jacob 
Miles to be Eoad Master and he to be paid $1 pr year." 

" 14th. If anny person owning a piece of land and do not 
build and live upon it in 18 m it shall be considered as town 
property and the person shall be allowed 20 days to move 
what they has thereon off ; then it shall be considered as Town 
Property and the Town can allow anyone else the same 
privilege under the above obligations." 

" 15th. Anny person that become rude and corrupt and 



THE INDIAKS Of VIRGINIA 35 

refuse to be submissive to the Laws of Indian Town shall be 
removed by the Trustees, chief and councilmen." 

" 18th. An Amendment to Eesolution all male citizens of 
Indian Town from 18 year upward shall pay $1.00 per year 
and until amt is paid they will not be given no land." 

There are twelve or fifteen of the Chickahominy tribe 
living in Virginia, but they are too scattered to form a 
tribal organization. 



CHAPTER IV 
The Lost Colony of Roanoke 



Before the first permanent settlement was made at James- 
town, Virginia, several prior attempts were made by the 
English to form permanent settlements in America; the 
most notable were those under the direction and through the 
aid of Sir Walter Raleigh. The history of these attempts to 
settle in America are interesting stories of the aboriginal 
inhabitants, and of the adventures of the English who 
attempted to settle amongst them during these early periods. 

In 1578 Sir Humphrey Gilbert obtained letters patent to 
settle a colony in Newfoundland. He made another effort in 
1583 and took possession of the harbor of St. Johns — New- 
foundland.^ 

The next attempt was through Sir Walter Raleigh, half 
brother to Sir Humphrey Gilbert. This attempt was un- 
successful as the ships after a few days' sail had to return, 
owing to contagious sickness among the company and crew. 

In 1584, Raleigh obtained letters patent from Queen 
Elizabeth for " discovering and planting any such Lands and 
Countries, as were not already in the actual possession of any 
Christian Nation." Sir Walter Raleigh persuaded " Gen- 
tlemen and Merchants " to join with him in this enterprise. 
Two vessels were provided and put under command of Cap- 
tain Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow. On April 27, 1584, 
they set sail from the Thames river, and on July 2, they 
reached the coast then known as " Elorida." 

As Virginia was first named through this expedition, some 

^ Sir Humphrey Gilbert was lost at sea while in the attempt 
to return to England. 

[86] 



THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE 37" 

incidents in connection with this attempt at settlement are 
given from Stith's history of Virginia. " They (the Eng- 
lish) landed at an island called Wococon " supposed to be 
Ocracock island, between Cape Hatteras and Cape Fear, K. C. 
" On the third day after landing they saw three natives in a 
canoe. One of them went ashore and waited without any 
signs of fear 'till the English rowed to him. He spoke much 
to them in his own language, and then went boldly aboard 
their vessels. They gave him a shirt, a hat, wine and meat, 
with which he was much pleased. Having attentively viewed 
everything he went away, and within half an hour he loaded 
his canoe with fish, which he brought and divided between 
the ship and Bark. The next day several canoes came, and 
in one of them the king's brother. His name was Granga- 
nameo, the King was called Wingina, and the country (was 
called by the English) Wingandacoa." 

" Leaving his canoes he went to a point of land where the 
English had gone the day before. Having spread a mat, he 
sat down upon it; and when the English came to him well 
armed, he showed no fear; but made signs for them to sit 
down, stroking his own head and breast, and then theirs, to 
express his love. 

" The natives were a proper, well proportioned people, 
very civil in their behavior and highly respectful to Granga- 
nameo. For none of them sat down, or spoke a word in his 
presence, except four; on whom the English also bestowed 
presents. But Granganameo took all from them, and made 
signs that everything belonged to him. After some small 
traffick he went away. Not long after he brought his wife 
and children. They were of mean stature but well formed, 
and very bashful and modest. His wife had a band of white 
coral about her forehead, and bracelets of pearl in her ears 
hanging down to her middle of the bigness of large peas, the 
rest were decked with red copper and such ornaments as are 
at present in fashion among Indians. 



38 LIFE IN OLD VIRGIXIA 

" After this, there came from all parts, great numbers of 
people, with leather, coral and divers kinds of dyes. But 
when Granganameo was present, none durst trade but him- 
self and those who wore red copper on their heads, as he did. 
He was just to his promise, for they often trusted him, and 
he never failed to come within his day to keep his tvord. 

" He commonly sent the English every day a brace of 
bucks, conies, hares and fish, and sometimes melons, walnuts, 
cucumbers, peas and divers kinds of roots. 

'' Capt. xlmidas with seven more, ventured up the Eiver 
Occam, as they call it, which must be Pamlico Sound. The 
next evening they came to the Isle of Roanoke. On this 
island they found a small tov/n, containing nine houses, in 
one of which Granganameo lived. He was absent; but his 
wife entertained them with wonderful courtesy and kindness. 
She made some of her people draw their boat up, to prevent 
it being injured by the beating of the surf; some she ordered 
to bring them ashore on their backs; and others to carry 
their oars to the house for fear of being stolen. Wlien they 
came into the house, she took off their clothes and stockings 
and washed them, as likewise their feet in warm water, 
WciQU their dinner was ready they were conducted into an 
inner room (for there were five in the house; divided by 
mats) where they found hominj'^, boiled venison, and roasted 
fish; and as a dessert, melons, boiled roots and fruits of 
^■a^ious sorts. Wliile they were at meal two or three of her 
men came in with their bows and arrows, which made the 
English to take to their arms. But she, perceiving their dis- 
trust ordered their bows and arrows to be broken and them- 
selves to be beaten out of the gate. In the evening the 
English returned to their boat and putting a little off from 
shore lay at anchor, at which she was much concerned, and 
brought their supper, half boiled, pots and all to the shore 
side; and seeing their jealousy, she ordered several men and 
fifty women to sit all night upon the shore as a guard, and 



THE LOST COLONY OP ROAXOKE 39 

sent five mats to cover them from the weather. In short, she 
omitted nothing that the most generous hospitality and hearty 
desire of pleasing could do, to entertain them. 

" They returned to England about the middle of Sept., 
1584, carrying with them two of the natives, Manteo and 
Wanchese. 

"The Queen (Elizabeth) herself was pleased to name the 
country ' Virginia ' in memory of its having been first found 
in the reign of a Virgin Queen, or as some have been pleased 
to gloss and interpret it, because it still seemed to retain the 
Virgin Purity and Plenty of the first Creation, and the 
people their primitive innocence of life and manners." 

WTien the English asked one of the Indians what was the 
name of his country, he not knowing what was meant, replied, 
"^ Wingandacoa." This sentence was in later years inter- 
preted into English and found to mean " Wliat pretty clothes, 
you wear." 

The next settlers to Virginia came under Sir Eichard 
Grenville, from Pl3'mouth, England, April 9, 1585. They 
chose Roanoke Island as their seating place (May 26, 1585). 
While in America they made discoveries south and north of 
Eoanoke, going as far north as Elizabeth Eiver (now in 
Virginia), Avliere they visited a nation of Indians called 
Chesapeakes, after which tribe the Chesapeake Bay is named. 
These voyages were made hoping to discover an outlet to the 
South Sea. During these voyages they had skirmishes with 
the Indians provoked mainly by their own indiscretion. 
They burned an Indian town because one of the natives stole 
from them a silver cup. Among their atrocious murders was 
that of Wingina, the Indian King, who had been so generous 
and hospitable to the English of the former expedition. 
There were 108 persons in this expedition. 

After undergoing much hardship and danger during 
about 14 months' stay in America, they were returned at their 
own request by Drake to England, about the latter end of 



40 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

July, 1586. They carried home some tobacco, which prob- 
ably was the first ever brought to England. It is said that 
owing mainly to Sir Walter Ealeigh, tobacco was introduced 
into general use by the ladies and noblemen of the Court, to 
which the Queen (Elizabeth) "gave great countenance and 
encouragement as a vegetable of singular strength and power 
which might benefit mankind." 

There are two famous stories told concerning tobacco and 
Sir "Walter Ealeigh. He wagered with the Queen, that he 
could determine exactly the weight of the smoke which came 
out of a pipe of tobacco. This he did by first weighing the 
tobacco, and then carefully preserving and weighing the 
ashes; and the Queen readily granted that what was wanting 
in the prime weight must be evaporated in smoke. And when 
she paid the wager, she said pleasantly that she had heard of 
many laborers in the fire, that turned their gold into smoke, 
but Ealeigh was the first who had turned his smoke into gold. 
It is also related that a country servant of his, bringing him a 
tankard of ale and nutmeg into his study, as he was intently 
engaged at his book, sm-oking a pipe of tobacco, became so 
frightened at seeing the smoke reek out of his master's mouth, 
that he threw the ale into his face, in order to extinguish the 
fire, and ran down stairs, alarming the family, and crying out 
his master was on fire, and before they could get up, he would 
be burned to ashes. 

Not knowing the colonists were on their way to England, 
Sir Walter Ealeigh sent a ship loaded with provisions for the 
settlement. After seeking the colony in vain the ship re- 
turned with all on board to England. About a fortnight 
after the departure of this ship (October, 1586), Sir Eichard 
Grenville arrived with three ships, seeking the colony which 
he himself had seated (and which was returned home by 
Drake), and finding their habitation abandoned, in order to 
hold possession of the country, he landed fifty persons on the 
island of Eoanoke, supplied with all provisions for two 



THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE 41 

years. He thereupon returned to England. These fifty men 
were never afterwards found. 

In 1587, three ships were sent under command of John 
White who was appointed Governor with twelve assistants as 
council under a Charter from Ealeigh, incorporating them by 
the name of " The Governor and Assistants of the City of 
Eoanoke, in Virginia," with express directions to seat at 
Chesapealve, which they neglected to do. They reached 
Hatteras July 22 (1587) and went to Eoanoke to look for 
the fifty men left there by Grenville, " but they found noth- 
ing but the bones of a man, and where the Plantation had 
been, the houses were undestro5^ed, but overgrown with weeds, 
and the fort defaced. Upon further search they learned that 
the colonists had been suddenly set upon by Winginas men, 
and after a small skirmish, in which one of the Englishmen 
was slain, they retired to the water side, and having got their 
boat, and taken up four of their fellows gathering crabs and 
oj'-sters, they went to a small island by Hatteras; that they 
staid there some time, but after departed they knew not 
whither." After some delay, \^Tiite planted his colony on 
Eoanoke Island. 

At the earnest request of the colonists Governor "White 
went to England to seek assistance there for his colony. He 
left about one hundred persons on one of the islands of 
Hatteras to form a plantation. Among those whom Gov- 
ernor "V\^iite left in the Colony was his own daughter, wife to 
Ananias Dare, one of tlie Council, and mother of Virginia 
Dare, born at Eoanoke island, August 13, 1587, the first 
ivliite child horn in the region then knoivn as Virginia. This 
child and her parents are numbered with those of this second 
lost colony. 

At the time Governor Wliite reached England for assist- 
ance "the nation was in great commotion and apprehension 
of the Spanish Invasion and Invincible Armada." He suc- 
ceeded in obtaining two small barks, but they were attacked 



42 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

at sea by the Spaniards and compelled to return to England. 
In the meantime Sir "Walter Ealeigh made an assignment of 
all his interest, title, or privilege, to several other gentlemen, 
for continuing the plantation in Virginia. On account of 
the invasion of the Spanish Armada, it was not until March, 
1590, that "White was able to get further assistance. At that 
date " he set sail with three ships from Plymouth, and passed 
by the "West Indies. They staid some time there, to perform 
some exploits, which was to attack and plunder the 
Spaniards," They finally reached Hatteras : " There they 
descried a smoke, at the place where the colony had been 
three years before. The next morning they discharged soma 
cannon to give notice of their arrival, they went ashore, but 
found no man nor signs of any, that had been there lately." 
They found engraved on a tree the word " Croatan," but 
searched in vain for the place. They made further search 
on Roanoke Island and elsewhere, but finally started again 
for the West Indies in search of more Spanish plunder, 
basely deserting their friends and relatives of the Colony. 

Sir "Walter Ealeigh after making his assignment sent five 
several times to Virginia to search for the lost colonists, but 
they were never seen nor heard of afterwards. Some of the 
.Jamestown colonists on their voyage up the James River 
*' saw a savage boy about the age of 10 years wliich had a 
head of haire of perfect yellow, and a reasonable white skin, 
which is a miracle amongst all savages." Some of thf^ 
Indians reported that they had seen whites in the South, 
but to this day the fate of the Roanoke settlers is not known. 



CHAPTER V 
The Founding of an Englisli Nation in America 



It was mainly through the efforts of Captain Bartholomew 
Gosnold that an attempt at colonization was made which re- 
sulted in making the final first permanent settlement in Vir- 
ginia, he ''' having made former voyages (in 1602) to the 
northern parts of Virginia, and was so pleased with the places 
he saw, that he solicited all his friends and acquaintances to 
join with him in an attempt to settle that country." He 
finally "prevailed upon Capt. John Smith, Edward Maria 
Wingfield, Reverend Robert Hunt, and divers others to join 
with him in the undertaking." Several of the noblemen, 
gentry, and merchants joined in the enterprise. Letters 
patent were obtained from King James I, bearing date 10th 
of April, 1606, naming certain persons for the " Southern 
colony," which settled in Tidewater Virginia, and certain 
other persons for the " Northern Colony," which finally set- 
tled in New England. 

"The Southern," or "London," Colony was designed foi 
the city of London, and such as would adventure with them 
to discover and choose a place of settlement between the de- 
grees of 34th and 41st parallels of latitude. 

" The Northern," or '*' Plymouth," Company, was appro- 
priated to the cities of Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, and the 
western parts of England, and all that would adventure with 
them, to make their choice between the degrees of 38th and 
45th parallels of latitude, provided there should be at least 
one hundred miles between the two colonies. 

The Charter from James I, dated April 10, 1606, begins 
by naming certain " loving and well disposed subjects * * ♦ 

[43] 



44 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

that we would vouchsafe unto them our license to make Habi- 
tation, Plantation, and to deduce a Colony of sundry of our 
people unto that Part of America either appertaining unto 
us, or which are not actually possessed by an Christian Prince 
or People." 

It granted all the territory between the 34th and 45th de- 
grees of north latitude, and all islands within one hundred 
miles of coast. The 34th to the 45th parallels extend from a 
short distance south of Columbia, S. C, to the dividing line 
between what we know as Vermont and Canada. The strip 
from the 38th to the 41st parallels, comprising between the 
mouth of the Potomac to the southern end of Long Island 
Sound, was embraced in the charters of both the Southern and 
Northern Companies, and was thus open to settlement by both. 
Conflict of jurisdiction was avoided by the proviso that neither 
colony should establish within one hundred miles of any actual 
occupancy by the other. Half of this territory could be se- 
cured to the first who settled upon it and yet there would 
be one hundred miles left. The actual settlement of the 
Jamestown colony was begun near the 37th parallel, while 
the Plymouth colony first settled at the 42nd parallel. 

The Companies were to be governed each by a Council of 
thirteen persons resident in England. There was likewise to 
be a council in each colony to govern according to the laws, 
ordinances and instructions of the King, — he to appoint the 
Royal Council in England. They had the power to work 
mines, paying the King one-fifth of the gold and silver, and 
one-fifteenth of the copper mined. They had the power to 
coin money, and to levy duty on King's subjects trading with 
them. 

The Council in England was empowered to name the Coun- 
cil to reside in Virginia. The President and Council in Vir- 
ginia were constituted the supreme tribunals in all cases. 

May 23, 1609, a second charter was granted to the London 
(A^irginia) Company, by which it became an entirely distinct 



THE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 45 

corporate body, and was under the management of a Special 
Eoyal Council in England, which included individual and cor- 
porate bodies of wealth and power. 

By it the power which had formerly been reserved to the 
King was transferred to the Company — the power of choosing 
the Supreme Council in England, and also of legislating for 
the colony. It became a corporate body known as the " Trea- 
surer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City 
of London for the First Colony in Virginia." The incorpora- 
tors were fifty city companies of London, and nearly 700 
persons, of whom there were knights, peers, ministers, doctors, 
esquires, gentlemen, captains, merchants, and others. 

It gave the company " all those Lands, Countries, and Ter- 
ritories situate, lying and being in that part of America called 
Virginia, from the Point of Land called Cape or Point Com- 
fort, all along the sea coast to the Northward 200 miles, and 
from said Point of Cape Comfort, all along the Sea Coast to 
the Southward 200 miles, and all that space and circuit of 
Land, lying from the Sea Coast of the Present aforesaid, up 
into the land, throughout from Sea to Sea, West and North 
West, and all the islands lying within 100 miles along the 
coast of both Seas of the Precinct aforesaid." 

This charter extended the limits of Virginia to the Pacific 
Ocean. It embraced the entire northwest of North America; 
granting 400 miles along the coast — 200 miles each way from 
Old Point Comfort. It supplanted the former president and 
council, and provided a governor and council instead, and 
gave them full power to correct, punish, pardon, govern and 
rule " all subjects as shall adventure in any voyage, or shall 
inhabit on the Precincts of the said Colony." 

A third Charter by James I, dated March 12, 1612, con- 
firmed and enlarged the privileges which had been granted 
under former charters, and extended the territory and juris- 
diction to all islands and settlements withing 300 miles of 
the coast of the main land. This added the Bermuda islands. 



46 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

which were soon thereafter sold to some of the members of 
the Company. 

The colony when first started was a " proprietary " enter- 
prise, and so continued until the second charter — 1609 — when 
it became a " corporation/' and so continued under its third 
charter until the year 1624, when the corporation or company 
was declared null and void, the corporation dissolved, and the 
colony placed under the Eoyal Government of the King of 
England, and so it continued as " a Eoyal Province,'' until the 
Revolution, with the exception of the period when it was at- 
tempted to grant the whole of Virginia for a period of thirty- 
one years to a few of the favorites of the Crown, and the 
period during the short interval of Cromwell's reign. 

On December 19, 1606, the colonists, composed of men and 
boys left Blackwalls, England, in three small ships, the Susan 
Constant, Godspeed and Discovery to make their future home 
in the wilds of America. They were detained on the coast of 
England by contrary winds about six weeks. Their voyage 
to America was by the southern route. 

" Your course securely steer, 
West by south forth keep, 
Rocks, lee shores, nor shoals 
Where Eolus scowls. 

You need not fear. 

So absolute the deep." 

" And cheerfully at sea 
Success you still entice 
To get the pearl and gold 
And ours to hold 

Virginia, 

Earth's only Paradise." 

The voyage was long and tedious, consuming more than 
four months from the start at Blackwalls to the landing at 
the Capes of Virginia, April 26, 1607. 



THE FOUNDIXG OF AN EKGLISH NATION 47 

Thomas Studley, one of the " Gentlemen " colonists gives 
the following list of " names of the first planters left in Vir- 
ginia/' when Captain Newport returned to England, June 15, 
1607. 

Edward Maria Wingfield, Capt. John Radcliffe, Capt. John 
Martin, Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold, Capt. John Smith, Capt. 
George Kendall. These were the council appointed by the 
London Company. Wingfield was selected as President by 
this Council for a year. 

Mr. Robert Hunt, Preacher. 

Those listed as " Gentlemen " were : 

George Percie, Anthony Gosnall, Capt. Gabriell Archer, 
Rob. Ford, William Bruster, Dru Pickhouse, John Brooks, 
Thos. Sands, John Robinson, Ustis Colovill, Kellam Throg- 
morton, Nathaniel Powell, Robt. Beberbland, Jeremy Alicock, 
Thos. Studley, Richard Crofts, Nicholas Houlgrave, Thos. 
Webbe, Jno. Walco, Wm. Tankard, Francis Scarsborough, Ed- 
ward Brooks, Rich. Dixon, Jno. Martin, Geo. Martin, An- 
thony Gosnold, Thos. Wotton, Surg. Thos. Gore, Francis Mid- 
winter. 

The Carpenters were: 

Wm. Laxon, Edward Rising, Thos. Emery, Rob. Small. 

The others were listed as follows : Anas Todkill, Jno. Cap- 
per, (no occupation indicated). 

James Read, blacksmith ; Jonas Profit, sailor ; Thos. Cooper, 
barber ; John Herd, bricklayer ; Edward Printo, mason ; Wil- 
liam Love, tailor ; Nic Skol, drum. 

The laborers were : John Laydon, Wm. Cassen, Geo. Cas- 
sen,* Thos. Casson, Wm. Rods, Wm. White, Ould Edward, 

^The latter named (Geo. Cassen) was one of the crew who 
accompanied Smith when he was captured up the Chickahominy 
River by Opechancanough, Powhatan's brother. Cassen was 
first captured, and after he told of Smith's whereabouts he was 
stripped and tied to a tree, and his flesh torn off with clam shells, 
and his body burned. 



48 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Henry Tauin, Geo. Golding, Jno. Dods, Wm. Johnson, Will 
linger. 

Will Wilkinson, Surgeon. 

The boys were : Sam'l Collier^ Nat. Pocock, Eichard Mul- 
lin, Jas. Brumfield. 

Studley ends the list with the statement that there were 
" divers others to the number of 105.^' 

They were accompanied by between forty and fifty sailors, 
who were the crews of the three ships. 

Wlien the colonists embarked upon their journey, they knew 
not who would be their rulers in the new world. They only 
knew the expedition was to be in charge of Capt. Newport 
until Virginia was reached. Sealed orders from the Company 
naming the first president and council for the colony were 
given Newport. The evening of their arrival within the Capes 
of the Chesapeake, the box containing the orders was opened 
and read, and no doubt great surprise was manifested by some 
upon reading the name of Capt. John Smith as one of the first 
Council. During the voyage he had been accused of mutiny 
by Wingfield and others, and had since then been a prisoner. 
His trial took place after the colony was established at James- 
town. He was honorably accquitted and his accuser ordered to 
pay him a large sum of money, which Smith refused to accept 
for his personal use, and donated to the colony. 

The size of the ships in which these colonists ventured 
across the wide Atlantic Ocean, indicates the meagre accomo- 
dations of the colonists during the four months cruise. A 
vessel's tonnage is estimated as 100 cubic feet to the ton, a 
little less in size than a cord of wood which is 138 cubic feet. 

The tonnage and capacity of each of the three ships were 
as follows : 

" Susan Constant,'*' 100 tons burden, capacity to hold 78 
cords of wood. 

" Godspeed," 40 tons burden, capacity to hold 31 cords of 
wood. 



THi; FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 49 

" Discovery," 30 tons burden, capacity to hold 15i/^ cords 
of wood. 

Few sailors of the present day would have the temerity to 
attempt to cross the Atlantic ocean in a vessel of but 30 tons 
burden.^ 

An interesting account of this memorable expedition was 
written by George Percy, or Percie, a brother of the Earl of 
ISTorthumberland, in whose honor a county in the Northern 
Neck of Virginia was named. He v/as a member of this first 
expedition to form a permanent settlement. When Captain 
John Smith returned to England in 1609, Percy was president 
in his stead, which office he held during " The Starving Time," 
in 1610, and later was Lieutenant-Governor. The history of 
the colony during the days they were seeking a final seating 
place can best be told in his own recital of those events. 

He described the voyage to Virginia as beginning on Satur- 
day, Dec. 20, 1606, (other writers, Dec. 19), "the fleet fell 
from London, and the first of January we anchored in the 
Downes but the winds continued contrarie so long, that we 
were forced to stay there some time." He gives an interesting 
description of the places where the fleet stopped en route to 
Virginia, and the habits of the aborigines whom the colonists 
met, and with whom they exchanged trinkets for food. They 
left the West Indies on the tenth of April, and all went well 
with the fleet until "the one and twentieth day about five a 
clocke at night there began a vehement tempest, which lasted 
all the night, with winds, raine, and thunders in a terrible 
manner. Wee were forced to lie at Hull (bare poles) that 
night because wee thought wee had beene neerer land than wee 

^ The largest vessel ever built v»^as launched at the Clyde Bank 
Glasgow, Scotland, on June 7, 1906, named " Lusitania," of the 
Cunard Line. She is 790 feet long, and her greatest breadth is 
88 feet. Her displacement is 40,000 tons, and she would there- 
fore hold approximately, 31,250 cords of wood, as compared with 
the 151 cords which would load the colonist's ship named " Dis- 
covery." 

A 



60 LIFE IM OLD VIRGINIA 

were." The next three days they sounded the lead for land 
" but wee could find no ground at a hundred fathom." 

" The sixth and twentieth day of Aprill, about foure a clock 
in the morning, wee descried the Land of Virginia ; the same 
day woe entered into the Bay of Chesupioc directly, without 
let or hinderance ; there wee landed and discovered a little way, 
but we could find nothing worth speaking of, but faire med- 
dowes and goodly tall Trees, with such Fresh-waters running 
through the woods, as I was almost ravished at the sight." 

" At night, when wee were going aboard, there came the 
Savages creeping up on all foures, from the Hills like Beares, 
with their Bowes in their mouthes, charged us very desperately 
in the faces, hurt Captame Gabrill Archer in both his hands, 
and a sayler (named Mather Morton) in two places of the 
body very dangerous. After they had spent their Arrowes, and 
felt the sharpnesse of our shot, they retired into the Woods 
with great noise, and so left us." 

The first settlers probably cast their first anchor in Virginia 
waters some two or three miles westward of the present loca- 
tion of Cape Henry Light House, within the Chesapeake Bay, 
and nearly on a south line with the inland waters of what is 
now known as Broad Bay, and its adjoining waters, known as 
Lynn Haven Bay. This latter named place lies directly south 
of this anchorage, some seven or eight miles, where on the sec- 
ond day of their arrival they "marched 8 miles up into the 
land and came to a place where the Indians had beene newly 
a roasting oysters." 

On April 29, 1896, the association for the preservation of 
Virginia antiquities put upon the old light house at Cape 
Henry a bronze tablet with these words upon it : 

" Near this spot landed April 26, 1607, Capt. Gabriell Ar- 
cher, Hon. Geo. S. Percy, Christopher Newport, Bartholomew 
Gosnold, Edward Maria Wingfield, with 25 others, who calling 
the place Cape Henry, planted a cross April 29, 1607. 
"Dei gratia Virginia condita." 



THE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 51 

The " Savages " who gave the colonists this ungracious re- 
ception were of the (Chesapeake) Chesupioc tribe whose seat 
was near the head waters of Lynn Haven Bay. Their hostility 
was no doubt induced by the belief that the colonists were of 
the same class of white men who had made prior visits to these 
shores/ 

" The seven and twentieth day we began to build up our 
Shallop : the Gentlemen and Souldiers marched eight miles up 
into the Land, we could not see a Savage in all that march, 
we came to a place where they had made a great fire, and had 
beene newly a roasting Oysters : when they perceived our com- 
ing, they fled away to the Mountaines, and left many of the 
oysters in the fire : we eat some of the oysters, which were very 
large and delicate in taste." 

"The eighth and twentieth we launched our Shallop, the 
Captaine and some Gentlemen went in her, and discovered up 
the Bay, we found a River (Lynn Haven Inlet) on the South 
side running into the Maine ; we entered it and found it very> 
shoal water, not for any Boats to swim: Wee went farther 
into the Bay, and saw a plaine plot of ground where we went 
on Land, and found the place five mile in compass, without 
either Bush or Tree, we saw nothing there but a Cannow, 
which was made out of the whole tree, which was five and 
fortie feet by the Rule. Upon this plot of ground we got good 

^ After settlements were made in the West Indies, and parts 
of South America, and vessels began to traverse the seas of the 
new world for commercial purposes, there arose a desperately 
criminal class of men — Spaniards and English mainly — who 
sailed the seas and explored the shores of America for plunder. 
They made frequent forays along the coasts, and into adjacent 
waters to capture the natives, whom they would sell as slaves to 
the planters. Piracy was of such frequent occurrence for more 
than a century after Virginia was settled that a court was 
specially provided by the colony for trial of pirates. Gov. Spots- 
wood did much to clear the coast of Virginia from the incursions 
of pirates. 



52 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

store of Mussels and Oysters, which lay on the ground as thick 
as stones: wee oj)ened some, and found in many of them 
Pearles. We marched some three or four miles further into 
the Woods, where we saw great smoakes of fire. We marched 
to those smoakes and found that the Savages had been burning 
down the grass, as wee thought either to make their plantation 
there, or else to give signs to bring their forces together, and to 
give us battel. We past through excellent ground of Flowers 
of divers kinds and colours, and as goodly trees as I have ever 
seen, as Cedar, Cypresse, and other kindes, going a little fur- 
ther we came into a little plat of ground full of fine and beau- 
tiful Strawberries, foure times bigger and better than ours in 
England. All this march we could neither see Savage nor 
Towne.'' 

The same evening towards dusk while attempting to enter 
James Eiver they struck " Willoughby Spit," the eastern end 
of Hampton Eoads, where they " found shallow water for a 
great way," which put them out of all hopes for getting any 
higher with their ships, which then " road at the mouth of the 
Eiver." 

They rowed to a point of land on the opposite side of Ham- 
ton Eoads, where they found a channel " with 6, 8, 10, or 13 
fathom ,"which put us in good comfort. Therefore we named 
that point of Land Cape Comfort." This is now known as 
" Old Point Comfort," situated at the entrance to Hampton 
Eoads. 

" The nine and twentieth day we set up a crosse at Chesu- 
pioc Bay, and named the Cape Henry, 

The colonists brought their ships into the James Eiver and 
were the invited guests of the Indians to a feast, a dance, and 
a "smoker," at the village of Kecoughtan, now the town of 
Hampton. Here the colonists for the first time came in 
friendly contact with their new neighbors, and witnessed many 
strange things. To men reared in the civilized precincts of 
London, these must have been novel ©cenes. 



THE FOUNDING 01 AN ENGLISH NATION 53 

" The thirtieth day, we came with our ships to Cape Com- 
fort, where we saw five Savages running on the shoare; pres- 
ently the Captaine caused the Shallbp to be manned, so rowing 
to the shoare, the captaine called to them in signe of friend- 
ship, but they were at first timersome until they saw the Cap- 
taine lay his hand on his heart: upon that they laid down 
their Bowes and Arrowes, and came very boldly to us, making 
signes to come a shoare to their Towne, which is called by the 
Savages Kecoughtan (now Hampton). Wee coasted to their 
Towne, rowing over a River running into the Maine, where 
these Savages swam over with their Bowes and Arrowes in 
their mouthes. 

"When we came to the other side, there was a many of 
other Savages which directed us to their Towne, where we 
were entertained by them very kindly. "V^Tien we came first 
a Land they made a doleful noise, laying their faces to the 
ground, scratching the earth with their nailes. We did 
thinke that they had beene at their idolatry. Wlien they ended 
their Ceremonies they went into their houses and brought out 
mats and laid upon the ground, the chiefest of them sate 
all in a rank: the meanest sort brought us such dainties as 
they had, and of their bread which they make of their Maiz 
or Genne wheat, they would not suffer us to eat unlesse we 
sate down, which we did on a Mat right against them. After 
we were satisfied they gave us of their Tobacco, which they 
tooke in a pipe made artificially of earth as ours are, but far 
bigger, with the bowle fashioned together with a piece of fine 
copper. After they had feasted us, they shewed us, in wel- 
come, their manner of dancing, which was in this fashion: 
one of the Savages standing in the midst singing, beating 
one hand against another, all the rest dancing about him, 
shouting, howling, and stamping against the ground, with 
many anticke tricks and faces, making noise like so many 
Wolves or Devils. One thing of them I observed ; when they 
were in their dance they kept stroke with their feet just one 



54 LIFE IX OLD VIRGINIA 

with another, but with their hands, heads, faces, and bodies, 
every one of them had a severall gesture : so they continued for 
the space of an houre. Allien they had ended their dance, the 
Captaine gave them Beades and other trifling Jewells. They 
hang through their eares Fowles legs: they shave the right 
side of their heads with a shell, the left side they weare of an 
ell long tied up with an artificial knot, with a many of Foules 
feathers sticking in it. They goe altogether naked, but their 
privities are covered with Beasts skinnes beset commonly with 
little bones, or beasts teeth: some paint their bodies blacke, 
some red, with artificiall knots of sundry lively colours, very 
beautifull and pleasing to the eye, in a braver fashion than 
they in the "West Indies." 

Notwithstanding this hospitable welcome and generous en- 
tertainment by these Indians to the white strangers. Sir 
Thomas Gates in 1610 drove all this tribe from Kecoughtan 
(Hampton), and took their lands for the use of a colony which 
he settled there. 

Aside from St. Augustine, Florida, and Santa Fe, New 
Mexico, Hampton is the oldest continuous settlement of a 
town in America. 

The colonists next met with the king of Paspiha who lived 
in what is now James City County, and who later gave the 
colonists the land of Jamestown. Wliile in his company the 
king of Rappahanna, hearing of the strangers, came in his 
canoe to extend an invitation to them to visit his town. They 
visit the king next day, and for the first time in the new world, 
they heard an Indian playing a flute, and they learned much 
of the customs of their new neighbors during this visit. 

" The fourth day of May, we came to the King or Wero- 
wanc of Paspihe: where they entertained us with much wel- 
come: an old Savage made a long Oration, making a foule 
noise, uttering his speech with a vehement action, but we 
knew little what they meant. While we were in company with 
the Paspihes, the Werowance of Rappahanna came from the 



THE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 65 

other side of the River in his Cannoa : he seemed to take dis- 
pleasure at our being with the Paspihes : he v/ould f aine have 
had us come to his Towne, the Captaine vras unwilling : seeing 
that the day was so far spent he returned backe to his ships 
for that night." 

" The next day, being the fifth of May, the Werowance of 
Eappahanna sent a Messenger to have us come to him. We 
entertained the said Messenger, and gave him trifles which 
pleased him : Wee manned our shallop with Muskets and Tar- 
gatiers sufficiently; this said Messenger guided us where our 
determination was to goe. When we landed, the Wero- 
wance of Eappahanna came downe to the water side with all 
his traine, as goodly men as any I have scene of Savages or 
Christians; the Werowance coming before them playing on a 
Flute made of a Reed, with a Crown of Deare's haire, colloured 
red, in fashion of a Rose fastened about his knot of haire, 
and a great Plate of Copper on the other side of his head, 
with two long Feathers in fashion of a paire of Homes placed 
in the midst of his Crowne. His body was painted all with 
Crimson, with a Chaine of Beads about his necke, his face 
painted blew, besprinkled with silver Ore as we thought (mica 
dust probably), his eares all behung with Braslets of Pearle, 
and in either eare a Birds Claw through it beset with fine 
Copper or Gold, he entertained us in so modest a proud 
fashion, as though he had beene a Prince of Civill govern- 
ment, holding his countenance without laughter or any such 
ill behaviour; he caused his Mat to be spred on the ground, 
where hee sate downe with a great Majestic, taking a pipe of 
Tobacco : the rest of his company standing about him. After 
he had rested awhile he rose, and made signes to us to come 
to his Towne. Hee went formost, and all the rest of his 
people and ourselves followed him up a steepe Hill where 
his Palace was settled. We passed through the Woods in fine 
paths, having most pleasant Springs which issued from the 
Mountains : We also went through the goodliest Corne fieldes 



56 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

that ever was seene in any countrey. When we came to Eap- 
pahannas Towne, he entertained us in good humanitie." 

The chief of tlie Appomattox tribe who lived at what is 
now Bermuda Hundred, Chesterfield County, bade them de- 
fiance, demanding their business upon his territory and de- 
sired that they should be gone, but at last permitted their 
" landing in quietness." 

"The eight of May wee discovered up the River. We 
landed in the countrey of Apamatica, at our landing, there 
came many stout and able Savages to resist us with their 
Bowes and Arrowes, in a most warlike manner, with the 
swords at their backes beset with sharpe stones, and pieces 
of iron able to cleave a man in sunder. Amongst the rest 
one of the chiefest standing before them crosse legged, with 
his Arrow readie in his Bow in one hand, and taking a Pipe 
of Tobacco in the other, with a bold uttering of his speech, 
demanded of us our being there, willing us to bee gone. Wee 
made signs of peace, which they perceived in the end, and let 
us land in quietnesse." 

They were almost determined to settle at Archers Hope, 
but finally decide upon a point of land which they afterwards 
named Jamestown. 

" The twelfth day we went backe to our ships, and dis- 
covered a point of Land, called Archers Hope, which was 
sufficient with a little harbour to defend ourselves against an 
enemy. The soile was good and fruitfull, with excellent good 
Timber, There are also stores of Vines in bignesse of a mans 
thigh running up to the tops of the Trees in great abundance. 
We also did see many Squirrels, Conies, Black Birds with 
crimson wings, and divers other Fowles and Birds of divers 
and sundrie colours of crimson." 

"We found store of Turkee nests and many Egges, if it 
had not beene disliked, because the ship could not ride neere 
the shoare, we had settled there to all the Collonies content- 
ment." 



THE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 57 

' " The thirteenth day, we came to our seating place in Pas- 
pihas Countrey, some eight miles from the point of Land, 
which I made mention before; where our shippes doe lie so 
neare the shoare that they are moored to the Trees in six 
fathom water." 

" The fourteenth day they completed the landing of men 
and stores and set to work building fortifications " which they 
did not finsh until the middle of June following. 

Thus began at Jamestown on May 14th, the first permanent 
settlement of English speaking people upon the continent of 
America, and with this small beginning, and upon this small 
plot of ground sprang the first aspirations for the freedom 
which culminated in oiw present form of government. 

They took possession of this land without leave, or license, 
other than their doubtful chartered authority from the King 
of England, notwithstanding the lands were occupied by a 
nearby tribe, known as the Paspihas, whose chief or king 
generously sent them word by his messengers, who were 
gorgeously decorated by him for the occasion, that he was 
coming to visit his white neighbors, and bring them a fat 
deer and be merry with them. 

Wlien he last met them, on May 4th, he did not know they 
would settle upon his lands, nevertheless it does not appear 
that he objected, for on the fourth day after their seating, 
Paspiha came to Jamestown accompanied by one hundred of 
his scantily clothed warriors, but each of them gorgeous with 
feathers, and paint, to make merry with the whites. The 
colonists mistrusted the object of the visit because they came 
armed and instead of making merry with him and his follow- 
ers, they soon quarreled with one of his men, and beat him 
severely because he picked up one of their hatchets, perhaps 
from curiosity. Their treatment so disgusted Paspiha that 
he " went suddenly away with all his company in great anger." 
Before leaving, however, he " made signes that he would give 
us as much land as we would desire to take." Two days later 



58 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

he sent them a deer. A trick was played upon one of the 
Indians who came with the deer, by one of the whites setting 
up a target of wood through which he boastfully shot his ar- 
row; they next set up a target of steel, and upon shooting 
again he " burst his arrow all to pieces," at which he was so 
maddened that he drew another arrow and " bit it in his 
teeth, and seemed to be in a great rage, so he went away in 
great anger/' 

This hospitable Savage subsequently, at the instigation of 
Powhatan, and because of some injustice inflicted upon his 
tribe by the colonists, laid in wait at the glass house near 
Jamestown for the purpose of assassinating Captain John 
Smith. On this occasion, Paspiha nearly succeeded in drown- 
ing Smith, but the latter finally conquered the Indian, and 
was upon the point of running his sword through him, when 
the savage begged piteously for his life. Smith forced him 
to march to Jamestown, where he was put in prison, but in 
a few days he effected his escape. 

In 1610, the colonists under Lord Delaware drove the tribe 
of Paspiha off their lands, burnt their houses, took the wife 
and children of this chief prisoners and slew them.^ 

The Colony selected an inland seating place according to 
" Instructions." The colonists overlooked and passed by 
regions of plenty, where the lands were fertile, and the 
forests were filled with wild game, and the salt waters teemed 
with the bounteous stores of nature, and seated instead upon 
a barren island where the surrounding waters were neither 
salt nor fresh. They doubtless were guided in their selection 
of this seating place by their " Instructions " from the Com- 
pany, "to be followed on landing." 

' The first colonists, whether at Roanoke or Virginia, were 
unfortunately ungrateful for past favors received at the hands 
of the aborigines of the new world as instanced in the killing of 
Wingina, and of Paspiha's wife and children, all of whom should 
have been the recipients of the best of treatment at the hands 
of the English. 



THE FOUXDIKG OF AN ENGLISH NATION 59 

"Where it shall please God to send you on the Coast of 
Virginia, you shall do your best endeavour to find out a safe 
port in the entrance of some navigable river, making choice 
of such a one as runneth farthest into the land. When you 
have made choice of the river on which you mean to settle, 
be not hasty in loading your vituals and munitions, but first 
let Captain Newport discover how far that river may be found 
navigable, that you make selection of the strongest, most 
wholesome and fertile place, for if you make many removes, 
besides loss of time, you shall greatly spoil your vituals and 
your casks. 

" But if you choose your place so far up as a hark of 50 
tons will float, then you may lay all your provisions ashore 
with ease, and the better receive the trade of all the countries 
about you in the land, and such a place you may perchance 
find a hundred miles from the rivers mouth, and the further 
up the better, for if you set down near the entrance, except 
it be in some island that is strong by nature, an enemy that 
may approach you on even ground may easily put you out ; and 
if he be driven to seek you a hundred miles the land in boats, 
you shall from both sides of the river where it is narrowest, 
so beat them with your muskets as they shall never be able 
to prevail against you. 

" Neither must you plant in a low or moist place, because 
it will prove unhealthful. You shall judge of the good air 
by the people, for some part of the Coast where the lands are 
low have their people blear eyed, and with swollen bellies 
and legs, but if the naturals be strong and clean made it is 
a sign of a wholesome soil." 

Jamestown Island, the final seating place, and the first 
capital of the colony,' lies on the north side of James River, 

^At the date of their seating at Jamestown, the only other 
settlements of whites within the present limits of the United 
States, including the territories, were at St. Augustine, Florida, 
founded in 1565, and at Santa Fe, New Mexico, settled In 1582. 



.60 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

in James City County, within the Tidewater Division known 
as " The Peninsula/' about thirty-two miles from the mouth 
of the river. It averages two and a half miles in length and 
three-quarters miles in breadth — about 1,700 acres. It is sur- 
rounded on three sides by James Eiver, and on the north side 
by Back Eiver, which separates it from the mainland. The 
island itself, and the surrounding country contains little evi- 
dence of the struggles of its early inhabitants. There is stand- 
ing the ruins of the brick church; a lonely monument to the 
drudgery, the toil, and the labors of the ninety-one years spent 
by the colonists in their endeavors to build up and maintain 
a capital city.* 

It was in the " Peninsula Division " of Tidewater Virginia 
that the colonists had their greatest hardships and struggles, 
and the most depressing, as well as the most successful and 
joyous periods of their early history as a colony. It was 
while Jamestown was the seat of government that they ex- 
perienced all the sensations of famine, disease, despair, and 
massacre by the savage natives, to which was added civil war 
amongst themselves through Bacon's rebellion which destroyed 
many homes and made the town a waste place. 

Captain John Smith in one of his narratives, describes the 
first days of settlement upon Jamestown island : " "When I 
went first to Virginia, I well remember we did hang an awn- 
ing which is an old sail to three or four trees to shadow us 
from the sun ; our walls were rails of wood, our seats unhewed 
trees till we cut planlcs; our pulpit a bar of wood nailed to 
two neighboring trees ; in fine weather we shifted into an old 
rotten tent, for we had no better. The best of our houses 

Prior to the naming of " Virginia " by Queen Elizabeth, the 
whole of the continent on the Atlantic shores was referred to 
indefinitely as Florida. 

^ The seat of government was maintained at Jamestown, from 
1607 to 1698, ninety one years, after which it was removed to Wil- 
liamsburg. 



THE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 61 

were of the like curiosity but for the most part, much worse 
workmanship that neither could well defend wind or rain." 

The great abundance which the colonists found in their new 
home was described by George Percy, one of the gentlemen 
colonists in his letter relative to the James Eiver: 

" This river which we have discovered is one of the famous- 
est Elvers that ever was found by any christian, it ebbes and 
flowes a hundred and three score miles where ships of great 
burthen may harbour in safetie. "Wheresoever we landed upon 
this Eiver, we saw the goodliest Woods as Beach, Oke, Cedar,'' 
Cypress, Walnuts, Sassafras, and Vines in great abundance 
which clusters on in many Trees, and all the grounds bespread 
with strawberries, mulberries, Easberries, and Fruits un- 
knowne, there are many branches of this Eiver which runne 
flowing through the Woods with great plentie of Fish of all 
kinds, as for Sturgeoon, all the World cannot be compared 
to it. There is also a great store of Deere both Eed and Fal- 
low. There are Beares, Foxes, Otters, Beavers, Muskrats, 
and wild beasts unknowne." 

Notwithstanding this great abundance, the colonists during 
their first few years of settlement suffered much for want of 
food. This was due to the fact that the greater number of 
them were unfitted by experience, or inclination, to the new 
surroundings. The majority of them was brought up in cities 
or towns of England, with no experience in rural life. Many 
of them were registered as gentlemen — a class between the 
nobles and peasants, — some of whom were too proud to work 
and too poor to live without labor. Others were named as 
mechanics or laborers, but none were experienced in wood- 
craft, nor in the labors of rural life, nor as sailors nor fisher- 
men.' 

* It will be noticed that Percy does not mention the Pines. 
He mistook the pine trees for Cedars with which he was most 
familiar. 

'Captain Smith describes in one of his narratives his crew of 
twelve men which he had with him on one of his voyages of 



63 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

When Smith became president, he put the gentlemen 
and others to work. He told them " the sick shall not starve, 
but equally share of all our labours, and every one that gather- 
eth not every day as much as I doe, the next dale shall be set 
beyond the river and be banished from the fort and live there 
or starve.'* 

One of the colonists, himself a gentleman no doubt, de- 
scribes the pleasure, and recreation which some of the gentle- 
men colonists who came with the second expedition to James- 
town, had in chopping trees in the woods under the chosen 
direction of Captain Smith. 

"Amongst the rest he (Smith) had chosen Gabriel Beadell 
and John Eussell, the only two gallants of this last supply, 
and both proper gentlemen; strange were these pleasures to 
their conditions, yet lodging, eating, drinking, working, or 
playing they doeing but as the President, all these things 
were carried on so pleasantly as within a weeke they became 
masters (proficient), making it their delight to hear the trees 
thunder as they fell, but the axes so oft blistered their fingers 
that every third blow had a loud oath to drowne the echo, for 
remedy of which sin the President devised how to have every 
man's oath numbered, and at night for every oath to have 
a can of water poured down his sleeve, with which every 
offender was so washed (himself and all) that a man should 
scarce hear an oath in a week." 

Sir George Percy wrote more of conditions at Jamestown: 

" Our men were destroyed with ceverell diseases as Swell- 
ings, Fluxes, Burning Fevers, and by Warres, and some de- 
parted suddenly, but for the most part they died of famine. 
There were never Englishmen left in a foreign Countrey 

discovery: "Not a mariner, or any that had skill to trim their 
sayles, use their oares, or any business belonging to the Barge 
but 2 or 3. The rest being Gentlemen, or as ignorant in such 
toyle and labour, yet necessity, in a short time by their Captaines 
diligence and example taught them to become perfect." 



tHE FOUNDING OF AN ENGLISH NATION 63 

in such miserie as wee were in this new discovered Virginia. 
Our food was but a small can of Barlie sod in Water to five 
men a day, our drinke cold water taken out of the Eiver, 
which was at a flood verie salt, at a low tide full of slime 
and filth, which was the destruction of our inen. Thus we 
lived for a space of five months in this miserable distress. It 
please God, after a while, to send these people which were our 
mortall enemies to relieve us with victuals, as Bread, Come, 
Fish and Flesh in great plentie, * * * otherwise we had 
all perished." 

Out of 105 colonists living in June, 1607, sixty-seven died 
during the following six months. Out of the total of more 
than 14,000 persons who came to Virginia, from the years 
1607 to 1623, only 1,258 were surviving at the time of the 
Indian massacre by Opcchancanough, in 1622. This massa- 
cre reduced the colony from 1,258 persons to 911, who sur- 
vived it. 

They drank the briny, sickening waters from the James 
Eiver for more than twelve months before digging a well. 
Their failure to guard and take care of their ship's cargo of 
food resulted in its destruction by decay and by rats, and 
their consequent starvation followed. They paid little or no 
attention to sanitary precautions within the town, and diseases 
followed their neglect. They were totally lacking in the ex- 
periences required in their new surroundings. 



CHAPTER VI 
Captain John Smith 



Of the whole number who adventured among the first few 
colonists to Virginia, Captain John Smith appeared to be the 
one best fitted to the hardships and dangers which befell them 
during these first years of settlement. His past experience as 
a sailor, a soldier, and a traveler in foreign lands, and his 
undaunted courage and daring, and ready wit were the quali- 
ties of manhood most needed in the new world at that period. 

The greater number of those who adventured during the 
first few years of the settlement were born and raised in the 
English cities or towns. They knew not how to accommodate 
themselves to the new and rough life incident to the pioneer 
in such an enterprise. They were ignorant of woodcraft, and 
could "neither fish nor cut bait,'' else they should not have 
starved in this region where the waters, and the forests teemed 
with great abundance of food. 

On the voyage from England, Smith was accused of insub- 
ordination by Wingfield, who later was the first President of 
the colony. Smith was placed under guard for nearly six 
weeks. He was finally exonerated and released, and from that 
date until he left Virginia in October, 1609, he was the busiest 
and most useful of all the colonists in seeking and procuring 
food from the natives for the colony, and in exploring and 
discovering the country in accordance with instructions from 
the Company to find an outlet to the " East India Sea." He 
was the most central figure in all the important events which 
transpired in Virginia during his stay. 

His history before and after coming to Virginia is interest- 
ing and exciting. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 

[64] 



CAPTAIls JOHX SMITH 66 

January, 1579, and was therefore little more than twenty- 
eight years of age when he reached Virginia. From early 
youth he was a soldier of fortune, and the most fortunate of 
men in being granted the assistance of the gentler sex when- 
ever and wherever needed in his greatest perils. In one of 
his books descriptive of New England and Virginia which he 
dedicated to the Duchess of Eichmond and Lenox, he pays 
the following beautiful compliment to the " Ladies." 

" Yet my comfort is, that heretofore honorable and vertuous 
Ladies, and comparable but amongst themselves, have offered 
me rescue and protection in my greatest dangers; even in 
foreine parts. The beauteous Lady Tragabizanda, when I was 
a slave to the Turkes did all she could to secure me. When I 
overcame the Bashaw of Kalbrits in Tartaria, the Charitable 
Lady Caliamata supplyed me necessities. In the utmost of 
many extremities, that blessed Pokahontas, the great Kings 
daughter, of Virginia, oft saved my life. AVhen I escaped the 
cruelties of Pirates and most furious storms, a long time alone 
in a small boat at sea, and was driven ashore in France, the 
good Lady Madam Chanoyes bountifully assisted me." 

The most perilous of Captain John Smith's many voyages 
of discovery through Virginia occurred up the Chickahominy 
Pdver. On December 10, 1607, Captain John Smith with a 
crew of nine men went up the Chickahominy Eiver to discover 
a passage to the South Sea, and to obtain corn for the colony. 
The explorers proceeded in a barge about ten miles beyond 
Apocant, an Indian village on the Chickahominy, and finding 
the river impeded with fallen timber, they returned to Apo- 
cant where Smith left seven of the crew with instructions to 
remain on board the barge and be on guard against surprise 
by the Indians. He hired two Indian guides, and with two 
of his crew, Eobinson and Emery, went about twenty miles 
farther up the river. Here he went ashore to shoot some 
game for food. He left the two whites and one Indian guide 
in the canoe, and took with him the other Indian guide. The 



66 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

crew of his barge at Apocant disobeyed his command and went 
ashore where one of them, George Cassen, was captured by 
Opechancanoiigh, who with three hundred of his men was 
there on a hunting expedition. They learned from Cassen 
where Smith had gone, and then put him to death in a most 
cruel and barbarous manner, after which they went in pursuit 
of Smith. When Smith left the canoe, Emery and Eobinson 
went ashore, built a fire and went to sleep. Here they were 
found by Opechancanough and shot to death with arrows. 
The Indians then followed Smith and his guide through the 
forest. When Smith discovered the Indians he "bound his 
Indian guide to his arm for a buckler and received their at- 
tack so smartly with his fire arms that he soon laid three dead 
upon the spot, and so wounded and galled divers others, that 
none of them cared to approach him." In attempting to re- 
turn to his canoe " he suddenly slipped up to his middle into 
an oozy creek. Altho' he was thus hampered, yet none of 
them durst come near him, till, being almost dead with cold, 
he threw away his arms and surrendered. Then drawing him 
out, they carried him to the fire where his men were slain 
and carefully chafed his benumbed limbs. When Smith re- 
covered from his chill he was conducted to Opechancanough 
to whom he presented a round ivory double compass dial, and 
explained its use. In this the Indians were much interested 
and they were much surprised to see the fly and needle in 
motion, and yet they could not touch them because of the 
glass covering. Yet within an hour after, they tied him to a 
tree, and drew up in order to shoot him. But Opechancanough 
holding up the compass in his hand, they all laid down their 
arms.^ 

^The story of Smith's adventure is graphically told by many 
of the early writers, amongst whom were Thomas Studley, the 
first Cape merchant of Virginia, and Stith, and Burke, the 
historians. They all agree as to the main facts, but Burke in 
his relation is the more florid in description of the several 
scenes in which Smith was the principal participant. 



CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH 67 

Smith was led about by his captors throughout the several 
settlements between the James and Potomac rivers before 
being brought to Powhatan at Werowocomoco in Gloucester 
County. 

Smith has narrated that he was carried "from place to 
place, and to Topahanocke, a kingdom upon another river 
(Rappahannock) northward; because the year before a ship 
had been in the river Pamunke (York), who having been 
kindly entertained by Powhatan their Emperor they returned 
thence and discovered the river of Topahanocke (Rappahan- 
nock) where being received with like kindness, yet he slew 
the king, and took of his people, and they supposed I were he, 
but the people (of Tappahannock) reported him a great 
(large) man that was Captain, and they using me kindly, the 
next day (Dec. 28, 1607) we departed" — out of Tappahan- 
nock. 

Thos. Studley, the first Cape Merchant of Virginia, who 
was at Jamestown when Smith returned wrote: "At last 
they brought him (Smith) to Werowocomoco where was Pow- 
hatan their Emperor. Here more than 200 of those grim Cour- 
tiers stood wondering at him, as he had been a monster; till 
Powhatan and his trayne had put themselves in their greatest 
traveries. Before a fire upon a seat like a bedstead, he sat 
covered with a great fur robe of Rarowoun (Raccoon) skinnes, 
and all the tayles hanging by. On either hand did sit a 
young wench of 16 or 18 years, and along on each side the 
house, two rowes of men, and behind them as many women, 
with their heads and shoulders painted red, and many of their 
heads bedecked with the white downe of Birds; but every 
one with something : and a great chayne of white beads about 
their necks. At his entrance before the King, all the people 
gave a great shout. The Queene of Appamattuck was ap- 
pointed to bring him water to wash his hands, and another 
brought him a bunch of feathers, in stead of a Towell to dry 
them: having seated him after their best barbarous manner 



68 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

they could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion 
was, two great stones were brought before Powhatan then as 
many as coilld, layd hands on him, dragged him to them, and 
thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs to beate 
out his braines, Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter, when 
no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid 
her owne upon his to save him from death: Whereat the 
Emperour was contented he should live to make him hatchets, 
and her bells, beads, and copper ; for they thought him as well 
of all occupations as themselves, for the King himselfe will 
make his owne robes, shooes, bowes, arrowes, pots, plant, hunt, 
or doe anything so well as the rest." 

Smith was released and sent to Jamestown with an escort 
of twelve guides to bring back a grindstone and two great 
guns (cannon) to Powhatan, in return for which he (Pow- 
hatan) promised Smith " the country of Capahowsick, & to 
love him as his own son, Nantaquasas." 

Upon their return to Jamestown " the guides were kindly 
treated, and Smith showed Eawhunt, the favorite warrior of 
Powhatan two demi-culverins (long slender cannon), and a 
grindstone, which he told him they were at liberty to take to 
their master. Having vainly attempted to lift the pieces. 
Smith discharged them, loaded with stone, against the 
branches of a tree hung with icicles. The Indians were so 
terrified at the report, and at the crash of the shattered and 
falling ice and branches, that they fled. But being assured of 
their safety, by the messengers despatched after them, they 
returned, and were sent back with various toys for Powhatan, 
his wives and children." 

After Smith's release, his rescuer, Pocahontas, continued to 
show her friendship for him. She was a frequent visitor to 
Jamestown, always bringing with her some substantial evi- 
dence of friendship. Studley said of her : " Ever once in three 
or foure dayes, Pocahontas, with her attendants brought him 
["(Smith) so much provision that saved many of their lives, that 



CAPTAIX JOHN SMITH 69 

els for all this had starved with hunger." Upon many occa- 
sions she gave Smith warnings of the hostile intents of her 
father, Powhatan, towards the colony, thereby often saving it 
from destruction. 

So long as Smith remained in Virginia, she continued her 
friendly visits, but upon learning of his departure she never 
again went there until as a prisoner in the hands of Argall, 
in 1612. 'When the latter was trading up the Potomac for 
corn, he learned from Japazaus, an Indian chief, that Poca- 
hontas was visiting with his tribe. Argall persuaded this chief 
to entice her aboard the vessel. For this treachery he was 
rewarded by a copper kettle for himself and some toys for his 
wife who aided him. The object of her capture was to induce 
her father to make peace with the colony. She was carried 
to Jamestown where she was well treated by all. Wliile there 
she renounced the idolatrous faith of her people, and was bap- 
tized into the Episcopal faith and named Eebecca. In 1613 
she married John Eolfe, a colonist widower. They resided 
at Yarina on the James fourteen or fifteen miles from Eich- 
mond City. Eolfe was the first to plant and cultivate tobacco 
for export. In 1616 in company with his wife, he sailed in 
Dale's ship to Plymouth, England, arriving there June 12. 

During her visit to England, and especially in London, she 
was entertained by the King and Queen and the nobility, and 
much ceremonial attentions were paid her as the daughter of 
an Emperor, though an Indian. 

Her meeting again with Captain John Smith in England 
was romantic and affecting because she was led to believe he 
was long since dead. Upon their meeting she was so overcome 
with surprise that for a long while she could not find utterance 
for her feelings, but laid her head in her hands and wept. She 
then indignantly accused the English as "great liars," and 
told him she had heard he was dead. She was greatly sur- 
prised to learn that Smith was not as big a man in England 
as in Virginia. 



70 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

Upon the eve of her return to Virginia, she was taken sick, 
and died, leaving one son, named Thomas Eolf e, -who later came 
to Virginia. His descendants, many of v/hom distinguisiiea 
themselves otherwise, proudly claim kinship to his mother, the 
"• Queen of the Wild Woods of America." 

Pocahontas was buried at St. George Parish, Gravesend, 
England, March 21, 1616. Her husband, John Eolfe, again 
married. He was probably killed in the Indian massacre of 
1622. 

Captain John Smith subsequently made a voyage to New 
England, after which he was called "Admiral of Rew Eng- 
land." He died in England June 21, 1631, and was buried 
at St. Sepulchre Church, London. His whole life was full 
of adventure. 



CHAPTEE VII 
The Place of Smith's Rescue 



In the previous chapter has been told the story of Smith's 
rescue by Pocahontas. This event occurred in Gloucester 
County, upon what is now known as " Eosewell " plantation, 
the former home of Governor John Page,^ but now the resi- 
dence of Judge Pielding L. Taylor. 

At the date of Smith's capture, this land was one of the 
principal places of residence of the Indian Emperor Powhatan, 
and was called " Werowocomoco." Smith in his book says : 
"At Werowocomoco, on the north side of the river Pamaunkee 
(York) was his (Powhatan's) residence when I was delivered 
him prisoner, some 14 myles from James Towne, where for the 
most part he was resident." The York was then called Pa- 

^ Governor Page was born at Rosewell, Gloucester County, 
April 17, 1744. His great grandfather was an Englisli mer- 
chant who emigrated to America and settled in Virginia. He 
was a member of the Colonial Council in the reign of "William 
and Mary, was with Washington in his expedition against the 
French and Indians; was a member of the House of Burgesses, 
a delegate to the convention which framed the Virginia State 
Constitution, and a member of the Committee on public safety 
during the Revolutionary War. He raised a regiment of militia 
in his county, in the Revolutionary War, and was one of the 
first representatives in Congress from his state. In 1800, he 
was a presidential elector, and in 1802, he was the successor 
of James Monroe as Governor of Virginia. At the expiration of 
three years as governor, he was appointed by President Jefferson 
U. S. Commissioner of Loans for Virginia, which office he con- 
tinued to hold until his death in Richmond City, October 11, 
1808. He was a large land holder, a learned statesman and an 
admirable soldier. 

[71] 



72 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

raaunkee. The historian Stith describes its position as fol- 
lows : 

" Werowocomoco lay on the north side of York River, in 
Gloucester County, nearly opposite to the mouth of Queens 
Creek, about twenty-five miles below the fork of the river." 
The fork of the river referred to is now known as West Point 
where the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers join and form 
the York Eiver. 

Queens Creek is in York County on the south side of the 
York Eiver. It empties into that river nearly opposite but 
above the mouth of Carters Creek, Gloucester County, 
upon this Carters creek is situated Rosewell mansion and 
lands. Until the marriage of one of the daughters of " King 
Carter" of Lancaster with one of the Page family, Carters 
Creek was called Eosewell Creek. 

Werowocomoco, now " Eosewell," is situated upon one of 
the most lovely of nature's quiet beauty spots to be found in 
the whole of Tidewater Virginia. Eosewell lawn, and the man- 
sion built upon it, have a most romantic connection with 
America's early history. The grounds of this lawn are con- 
nected with the birth and naming of Pocahontas, the rescue 
of Captain John Smith, and with later incidents of Smith's 
meeting with Powhatan, and with Captain Newport's endeavor 
to crown this great Indian as Emperor. 

The mansion has interesting historical value as the home 
of Governor Page and as the place of frequent visits of 
Thomas Jefferson. 

The lawn is a point of land jutting out into Carters Creek 
which winds around it and forms a little bay or bight upon 
its southern end. The surrounding lands, and the waters of 
Carters Creek mingle so harmoniously as to play hide and seek 
until they reach the inner shores of " Blundering Point," at 
the mouth of this creek, where they become entangled with 
the waters of " Cedar Bush Creek," and there the two streams 
noiselessly empty their clear waters into the beautiful and 




Built upon the lawn upon uliicli Captain Smith was rescued by Pocahontas. 







Indian Dance. 



THE PLACE OF SMITH's RESCUE 73 

quiet York Kiver, to flow on, and on until they reach the 
broad Chesapeake Bay, called by the Indians " Mother of the 
Waters/' distant some fourteen or fifteen miles. Ships pass 
before the eye on these waters like phantom figures floating 
in the air. They come and go, and are seen, but no echo 
reaches these shores to disturb nature's repose. 

There is a charm of quietude and rest pervading such 
places which pen cannot describe. Here are the homes of the 
wild mocking birds which, with their delightful chants, so 
pleasing to the ear, will lull to rest the weary when the task 
is done. The writer, during a visit there in August, 1906, 
counted seven wild mocking birds at one place within a 
stone's throw of Eosewell house. 

Eosewell mansion is substantially built of brick, three story 
and basement. The foundation walls are three and one-half 
feet thick. The reception hall is large, the ceilings lofty, 
and the whole mansion is indicative of refined taste and 
wealth. From the upper windows, a magnificent view is had 
of the surrounding level lands and the waters of the creeks 
and the York Eiver. 

During the life of Governor Page, Thomas Jefferson was 
a frequent and welcome visitor there. T^Hiile on one of his 
visits he wrote the rough draft of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence in what is now known as the "Blue Eoom," situ- 
ated on the northwest corner of the second story of this house. 

In a small grove of trees within sight of the mansion is 
the family grave yard, containing several grave stones. Upon 
these stones are chiselled the figures representing " Grief," 
" Immortality," " Eternity," " Eesignation," etc. Upon one 
of the stones is chiselled the coat of arms of the Page family 
and the following words: 

" Here lyeth Interred the body of 
Mary Page wife of Honbie Matthew 
Page Esq one of her Majesteyes Council 
of this Collony of Virginia and Daughter 



74 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

of John and Mary Man of this 
Colony who departed this life 
ye 24th day of March in ye year 
of our Lord 1707 in ye Thirty 
sixth year of her age. 

In the many written accounts of Smith's rescue, reference 
is always made to the " two great stones " on which his body 
was laid when Powhatan ordered his execution. At tlie foot 
of the lawn of Eosewell mansion, on its Western end are 
the " two great stones " upon which tradition says Captain 
John Smith's body was laid preparatory to his attempted 
execution. Both together would probably weigh nearly a ton. 
They lie upon the creek shore a few feet from the bank which 
formerly extended into the creek, but long since caved in 
and were washed away by the waters of the southerly gust 
tides which left these stones to be partly covered by the waters 
at high tides. They are the largest, and the only large stones 
known to be in this or the surrounding counties where clay, 
sand, gravel, and very small stones only are found. 

On the west side of the lawn is a pretty cove known as 
" Eescue Cove." It is filled up so much by the debris washed 
during the centuries from its surrounding banks, that its 
bed is nearly on a level with the waters of Carters Creek, so 
that the tide does no longer flow, and ebb through it. It 
was doubtless a harbor for Powhatan's canoes. At the head 
of the cove, and upon a line with the mansion is a gushing 
spring of clear, pure water flowing down this cove until it 
empties into Carters Creek, a few hundred yards distant. Its 
flow is strong and at the rate of several hundred gallons an 
hour, indicating by its force that its origin is far distant in 
the higher lands, amid the hills and their hard rocky bottoms. 
On this lawn Pocahontas was born, and it is tradition that 
she was named after this spring. Her true name was " Ma- 
toaka'' or "Matoax," the definition of which is "Bubbling 
Waters Between Two Hills," or " Bright Waters Between 



THE PLACE OF SMITH's RESCUE "^5 

Two Hills/' Pocahontas was the favorite child of Powhatan, 
and the Indians at first concealed from the whites the real 
name of Pocahontas, fearing that if they knew her true name 
they could do her some harm/ 

Wliere the banks of Eosewell lawn have broken down, and 
caved in by the action of the waters of the Creek, there is 
exhibited successive layers of ashes, charcoal, oj'^ster, and clam 
shells, alternating with slight layers of earth between. These 
layers of shells and debris are several feet in depth, indicating 
that this place was an Indian settlement during very many 
years. 

There are about two hundred acres in the Eosewell estate 
at present, though the lands belonging to this original estate 
extended to what is now known as the " Shelly " plantation, 
on the east side of Carters Creek, distant in an air line about 
three-quarters of a mile. At " Shelly " plantation are found 
the usual indications of an Indian settlement — shell banks. 
This site was probably occupied by the " Werowance " or King 
of the tribe inhabiting that section of Gloucester County at 
the date of Smith's rescue. 

Some writers have asserted that " Shelly " was the principal 
residence of Powhatan at the date of Smith's capture and 
rescue. They base their assertions mainly upon the fact that 
there are larger Indian shell banks at " Shelly " than at 
" Eosewell," and that it is within plain view of the waters 
of York Eiver. The arguments set forth by these writers 
are conclusive evidence in favor of " Eosewell " being Powha- 

^They superstitiously believed that to tell or speak aloud 
one's own name gave to the enemy, or the evil spirit, a power over 
the speaker which could be used for purposes of sorcery, or 
witchcraft. Such was the reason that Pocahontas' true name, 
Matoaka, was concealed from the whites. " To whom does this 
gun belong," was asked an Indian squaw. " It belongs to him," 
she replied. " And who is him," she was asked. " The man 
who sits there," said she pointing to her husband, whose name 
she would not call aloud fearing some harm might thus befall 
him. 



76 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

tan's seating place instead of " Shelly." Powhatan was the In- 
dian Emperor who ruled over more than thirty different tribes, 
extending from the " falls of the James Eiver/' at Eichmond 
City, to the " falls of the Potomac/' above Georgetown, D. C, 
including the greater part of the Maryland shores of the 
Potomac. To maintain this control, he must have been always 
upon his guard against enemies within, as well as beyond his 
dominions. A man so shrewd as he, though a savage, would 
not select an exposed outpost for his seating, but instead 
would leave such a position to one of his subordinates, a 
Werowance, King, of the tribe inhabiting that section. The 
Indians living near the tidal waters always traveled in boats 
when going to war with one another. To reach Powhatan 
at " Rosewell," the enemy would first have to pass " Shelly " 
through a comparatively narrow creek, within sight of the 
occupants of " Shelly," and within bow shot of their arrows. 
Powhatan had several places of residence provided for him 
throughout his dominions. He spent but a part of the year 
at either of these places. " Shelly " being permanently occu- 
pied by the Werowance — King — and his tribe, accounts for 
the greater abundance of shells found there than at " Eose- 
well," which Powhatan occupied only at intervals. It was 
a more secure spot, with an easier outlet to the inner parts 
of the main lands ; and the outlook from " Eosewell " lawn, 
of the waters leading from the York Eiver, is sufficiently 
plain to admit a timely view of all comers through these 
waters. Such natural advantages could not be overlooked 
even by a savage Indian. 

Captain John Smith, after his rescue and release from 
Powhatan, made a bargain with this chief to have log cabins 
built for his use at selected places, notably at the place known 
at this day as " Powhatan," on the James Eiver a couple of 
miles below Eichmond City ; another at Timberneck Creek, in 
Gloucester County, a few miles east of Eosewell (Werowoco- 
moco). The chimney to the cabin at Timberneck Creek was 



THE PLACE OF SMITH's RESCUE 77 

built of lumps of hardened clay and shells intermixed, re- 
sembling marl. This was standing until the Charleston 
(S. C.) earthquake in 1898, at which time it fell. Its ruins 
now lie in heaps on the ground upon which it formerly stood. 
The Dutchmen sent by Smith to do the work of building the 
cabins proved traitors to the colony, and entered into a con- 
spiracy to betray it into the hands of Powhatan. They stole 
arms and ammunition from Jamestown for Powhatan's use. 
Their purposes were frustrated by Smith who failed to punish 
them fearing greater revenge. They were induced into this 
conspiracy upon viewing the power and plenty which the great 
chief possessed in comparison with the weakness and poverty 
of the Jamestown Colony. Smith had built for Opechan- 
canough a log cabin with a door to which was a lock and key. 
The lock interested this Indian so much that he spent the 
greater part of a fortnight in locking and unlocking the door, 
going inside and locking himself in, and going outside and 
locking himself out. Fortunately, he did not have any " Vir- 
ginia Apple Jack," and could therefore always find the key 
hole. 



CHAPTER VIII 

Virginia Firmly Planted. 

In the fall of 1G09 Smith was wounded by the explosion of 
a bag of gunpowder, and forced to return to London for medi- 
cal treatment. George Percy was left in charge of the colony. 
Smith left in Virginia three ships and seven boats, a supply 
of commodities ready for trade with the Indians, a goodly 
supply of corn newly gathered, provisions in store for the 
colony, three hundred muskets with other arms and ammuni- 
tion, nets for fishing, tools of all sorts for work, apparel to 
supply their wants, six mares and a horse, more than five hun- 
dred hogs, as many hens and chickens, and some sheep and 
goats. 

Percy, after Smith's departure, was taken sick and unable 
to attend to his duties, and the colony was in such confusion 
that twenty or more men attempted the duties of president. 
The provisions were wasted, idleness and neglect followed, 
and so desperately poor and needy was the condition of the 
colony that within six months after Smith's departure, of 
the four hundred and ninety odd persons left there by Smith, 
not above sixty remained alive in May, 1610. This period is 
known in the history of the colony as " The Starving Time." 
So terrible was the time that some even ate the flesh of the 
dead. 

On May 24, 1610 Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Somera 
reached the colony from the "West Indies where they had been 
forced in their vessels by adverse winds and wrecked while on 
their voyage formerly to Virginia. Seeing the deplorable con- 
dition of the colony, they consented to embark upon their 
vessels all those who survived the famine, and determining 
to abandon the settlement and return to England, they started 

[78] 



VIRGINIA FIRMLY PLANTED 79 

in their vessels down the James River to desert Virginia 
forever. When they reached Mulberry Point, a few miles 
above Newport News, they spied the long boat of Lord Dela- 
ware's fleet, and later his three ships which were loaded with 
provisions and other necessaries for the colony, on June 9, 
1610. Lord Delaware persuaded the colonists to return to 
Jamestown, which they did, and began again their final settle- 
ment with many prayers of thanksgiving and much rejoicing 
for their rescue. Thus Virginia was saved. 

At the present day, one would deem it incredible that sane 
men should starve to death in a section of Virginia which was 
then, and is yet, so bountifully supplied with nature's edible 
products. In the surrounding woodlands at that date, there 
was game of many species at all seasons of the year, and in 
great abundance. A short distance from Jamestown, down 
the James Eiver, there was excessive abundance of fish, oys- 
ters, clams, crabs, and terrapin in the waters always within 
reach of the industrious, intelligent, and provident seeker. 

Their failure to obtain sustenance from these numerous 
and ample stores of nature, is accounted for by Capt. John 
Smith in his letter to the Treasurer and Council, in London, 
in reply to their threat to desert the colony unless Newport's 
ships were returned loaded to pay the Company for their ex- 
pense of the voyage, or unless important information relative 
to discovery of mines, or the discovery of a passage way to the 
South Sea, or some word of knowledge as to the lost colonies, 
should be sent to the London Company. Smith wi'ote the 
Company to send over emigrants vrho would be producers be- 
fore they could expect much in return, and in terse sentences 
informed them of the helpless condition of those already 
seated in the colony. Said he, " Though there be fish in the 
sea, fowles in the a3Te and Beasts in the Woods their bounds 
are so large, they so wilde and we so weake and ignorant, we 
cannot much trouble them." 

If laziness was one of the attributes of some of the gcnile- 



80 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

men colonists, as charged by some writers, it sliould be re- 
called that the conditions under which the early colonists 
were governed in their labors were not such as to induce them 
to be diligently industrious. Under the rules and regulations 
prescribed by the London Company, no individual controlled 
the products of his own labors. They shared it as a commun- 
ity, in "Joint Stock." The Cape Merchant (Treasurer) had 
under his care and control the food and everything else which 
the whole colony produced, or which was sent them. The in- 
dustrious and thrifty shared no better in the division of the 
commodities than the lazy and shiftless. Under this arrange- 
ment, the colony worked during the first five years. 

"And wee doe hereby establish and ordaine, that the said 
colonies and plantations, and every person and persons of 
the same severally and respectively, shall within every of their 
several precincts, for the space of five years, next after their 
first landing upon the said coast of Virginia and America, 
trade together all in one stoclce or divideably, but in two or 
tjiree stocks at the most, and bring not only all the fruits of 
their labours there, but alsoe all such other goods and com- 
modities which shall be hrouglit out of England, or any other 
place into the same Colonies, into several magazines or store 
houses, for that purpose to be made, and erected there, and 
that in such order, manner and form, as the council of that 
collony, or the more part of them shall sett downe and direct." 

A Cape Merchant chosen annually by the President and 
Council was " to take charge and managing of all such goods, 
wares, and commodities, which shall be brought into or taken 
out of the several magazines or storehouses." 

" Those who paid their own passage to Virginia had always 
been as free as men serving in a joint stock are apt to be," 
states a writer of these times. But those sent at the expense 
of the Company had to work out the debt by serving a term 
of years — they were known as indented servants. These 
terms began to expire after May, 1614, and lands were granted 
them. 



VIRGINIA FIRMLY PLANTED 81 

In 1619, every man was free to pursue his own individual 
labors, and for this purpose certain portions of land were 
given to the individual person for his own use, though a por- 
tion of his products were to be placed in the general store 
house for emergencies. This was the first step towards indi- 
vidual liberty and property rights ever in America. 

To avoid the burden of taxation for maintenance of officers 
of the government, a certain number of acres of land were as- 
signed for their benefit to be worked by servants owing pass- 
age money, etc. 

It appears that the colony was instructed by the London 
Company sufficiently to meet any emergency. The former 
expeditions which the English made, through Sir Walter 
Raleigh's, aid, to the North Carolina coast, were misled by the 
Indians into the belief that there was an open way to the 
Indies by water, and that the country was rich in minerals. 
Therefore one reads such instructions as the following: 

" You must observe, if you can, whether the river on which 
you plant doth spring out of mountains, or out of lakes ; if it 
be out of any lake, the passage to the other sea will be more 
easy, and is like enough that out of the same lake you shall 
find some spring which runs the contrary way to the East 
India Sea." 

"The other forty men you may employ for 2 months in 
discovery of the river above you * * when they do espie any 
high lands or hills Capt. Gosnold may take 20 of the Com- 
pany to cross over the lands and carrying a half dozen pick- 
axes to try if they can find any minerals." 

" The other twenty may go on by river, and pitch up boughs 
upon the banks side by which the other boats shall follow by 
the same turnings." 

"And when any of you shoots before them (the Indians) 
be sure that they be chosen out of your best marksmen." 

"Above all things do not adventure the killing of any of 
your men, that the country people (natives) may know it." 
G 



82 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

"You should do well also not to let them see or know of 
your sick men." 

To follow the Colonists as they advanced beyond the narrow 
confines of Jamestown would make a lengthy but most inter- 
esting story. While forming their new homes in the wilder- 
ness of America, they were forced to battle with the wily sav- 
age man, and drive before them the wild beasts of the forests, 
and to fell the giant timber which stood guard over the soil 
that was coveted for the harvests of corn, wheat, tobacco, and 
other bounteous products that later blessed the industry of the 
intrepid settler on some lonely but lovely point of Tidewater 
Virginia lands, overlooking the salt sea waters which bore him, 
or his forefathers to this "fair land of freedom." Picture 
generations of such men. 

Little wonder then will be 
That America is free. 

The seat of government of the colony was removed from 
Jamestown to Williamsburg in 1698, and retained there until 
1779, eighty-one years; making one hundred and twenty-seven 
years in all in which the capital city of the colony was situated 
within " The Peninsula Division " of tidewater. 

Before the seat of government was removed from this penin- 
sula, the colony had reached the condition of such great pros- 
perity that princely entertainments, and generous "Virginia 
hospitality " became synonymous terms. Williamsburg is in 
James City County, seven miles inland from James River, in 
a north easterly direction from Jamestown. It is the oldest 
incorporated town in Virginia, and was first settled as a town 
in 1632. Its vicinity was first known as Middle Plantation. 

During the ninety odd years in which the seat of govern- 
ment was maintained at Jamestown, the colony had largely 
increased in population and extended its settlements from the 
Capes of the Chesapeake to the " falls of the James," on both 
sides of the river, and into the " Korthern Neck,"- in all com- 



VIBGINIA FIRMLY PLANTED 83 

prising twenty-three organized counties. During these years, 
the settlers had felled enough of the forest, and cleared suf- 
ficient lands to insure prosperity for the many. 

During this period, there came to the Southern Colonies, 
Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, a class of men called 
" Cavaliers." This appellation was given to the partisans of 
Charles I in his contest with parliament. The great exodus 
of Cavaliers to Virginia began in 1649, after the execution of 
Charles I. Then Governor Berkeley sent a message to Eng- 
land inviting the Eoyalists to the Colony, and in less than a 
year more than a thousand of them reached Virginia. They 
were a pleasure loving set of men. It is said they had a keen 
appreciation and liking for the luxuries and refined pleasures 
of the Old World. 

It is estimated that from 1649 to 1670, the population of 
Virginia increased from 15,000 to 40,000 whites. 



CHAPTEE IX 

Old Williamsburg. 

In 1724, Eeverend Hugh Jones, Chaplain to the Honorable 
Assembly of Virginia, wrote a description of Williamsburg, 
then the largest and best built town in the colony. His narra- 
tive indicates the great prosperity which the colony then 
enjoyed. 

Said he : " When the state house and prison were burnt 
Gov. Nicholson removed the residence of the governor, with 
the meetings of the general courts and general assemblies to 
Middle Plantation, 7 miles from Jamestown, in a healthier 
and more convenient place, and freer from the annoyance of 
mosquities. Here he laid out the city of Williamsburg — in 
the form of a cipher, made of W and M — on a ridge at the 
head springs of two great creeks " (King and Queen). 

" The William and Mary College building is beautiful and 
commodious, being first modelled by Sir Christopher Wren, 
and since it was burnt down it has been rebuilt nicely con- 
trived, altered and adorned by the ingenious direction of Gov. 
Spottswood. The royal foundation was granted and estab- 
lished by charter (1693), by King William and Queen Mary, 
and endowed by them with some thousand (20,000) acres of 
land, with duties upon furs and skins, and a penny a pound 
for all tobacco transported from Virginia and Maryland to the 
other plantations ; to which have been made several other bene- 
factions: There were donations made for the education of 
Indians, and to purchase negroes for the college use and 
service." 

He describes the Capitol Building as "a noble, beautiful 
and commodious pile, as any of its kind. In it is the Secre- 
tary's office, with all the courts of law and Justice, held in 

[84] 



OLD WILLIA]MSBURG 85 

the same form and near the same manner, as in England. 
Here the governor and 12 counsellors sit as judges in the 
general courts, whither trials and causes are removed from 
monthly county courts. Here are also held the Oyer and 
Terminer Courts.'' 

" Here are also held Court martials, by judges appointed on 
purpose for the trial of pirates ; likewise courts of admiralty 
for the trial of ships for illegal trade." 

" The building is in the form of an H nearly ; the secre- 
tary's office and the general court taking up one side below 
stairs; the middle being a handsome portico leading to the 
clerk of the Assembly, and the House of Burgesses on the 
other side; which last is not unlike the House of Commons. 
In each wing is a good stair case, one leading to the council 
chamber, where the governor and council sit in verij great 
state, in imitation of the King and council, or the lord chan- 
cellor and House of Lords. Over the portico is a large room 
where conferences are held, and prayers are read by the chap- 
lain to the general assembly ; which office I have had the honor, 
for some years to perform. At one end of this is a lobby, and 
near it is the clerk of the councils office ; and at the other end 
are several chambers for the committies of claims, privileges, 
and elections; and over all these are several good offices for 
the receiver general, for the auditor, and treasurer, &c., and 
upon the middle is raised a lofty cupola with a large clock." 

" The whole surrounded with a neat area encompassed with 
a good wall, and near it is a strong sweet prison for criminals ; 
and on the other side of the open court another for debtors, 
when any are removed from the other prisons in each county ; 
but such prisoners are very rare; the creditors being there 
generally very merciful, and the laws so favorable for debtors 
that some esteem them too indulgent." 

" The cause of my being so particular in describing the 
Capitol, is because it is the best and most commodious pile of 
its kind that I have seen or heard of. Because the State house, 



86 Life in old viegikia 

James Town, and the college have been burnt down, therefore 
is proliibited in the Capitol, the use of fire, candles, and 
tobacco. 

" Parallel to the main street mentioned is a street on each 
side of it, but neither quite so long nor so broad ; and at proper 
distances are small cross streets, for the convenience of com- 
munication. Near the middle stands the church, which is a 
strong piece of brick work in the form of a cross, nicely regu- 
lar and convenient, and adorned as the best churches in Lon- 
don. This from the parish is called Bruton Church, where 
I had the favor of being lecturer. Near this is the large octa- 
gon tower, which is the magazine or repository of arms and 
ammunition, standing far from any house except James Town 
Court House, for the town is half in James Town county, and 
half in York county. Not far from hence is a large area for 
a market place ; near which is a play house and a good bowl- 
ing green. 

" From the church runs a street northward called Palace 
street; at the other end of which stands the palace, or gover- 
nor's house, a magnificent structure, built at the public ex- 
pense, finished and beautified with gates, fence, gardens, walks, 
a fine canal, orchards, &c., with a good number of the best 
arms, nicely posited, by the ingenious contrivance of the most 
accomplished Col. Spotswood. This likewise has the ornamen- 
tal addition of a good cupola or lantern, illuminating most of 
the town upon birth nights and other nights of occasional re- 
joicings. These buildings here described are justly reputed the 
best in all English America, and are exceeded by few of their 
kind in England." 

"At the Capitol, at public times, may be seen a great num- 
ber of handsome, well dressed, compleat gentlemen ; and at the 
governors house upon birth nights, and at balls and assemblies, 
I have seen as fine an appearance, as good diversion, and as 
splendid entertainments in Gov. Spotswoods time, as I have 
seen anywhere else. 



OLD WILLIAMSBURG 87 

"Williamsburg is now incorporated and made a market 
town, and governed by a mayor and alderman, and is well 
stocked with rich stores of all sorts of goods, and well furn- 
ished with the best of provisions and liquors. Here dwell several 
good families, and more reside here at their own houses in 
public times. They live in the same neat manner, dress after 
the same modes, and behave themselves exactly as the gentry 
in London ; most families of any note having a coach, chariot, 
berlin, or chaise. The number of artificers here is daily aug- 
mented, as are the convenient ordinaries or inns, for the ac- 
commodation of strangers. The servants here, as in other 
parts of the country, are English, Scotch, Irish, or negroes." 

" The town is regularly laid out in lots or square portions, 
sufficient for a house and garden, so that they don't build 
contiguous, whereby may be prevented the spreading of fire; 
and this also affords a free passage of air, which is very grate- 
ful in violent hot weather. Here, as in other parts, they build 
with brick, but most commonly with timber lined with ceiling, 
and cased with feather edged plank, painted with white lead 
and oil, covered with shingles of cedar, &c., tarred over at 
first ; with a passage generally through the middle of the house, 
for an air draught in summer. Thus their houses are lasting ; 
dry and warm in winter, and cool in summer; especially if 
there be windows enough to draw the air. Thus they dwell 
comfortably, genteelly, pleasantly, and plentiful in this de- 
lightful, healthful, and, I hope, thriving city of Williams- 
burg." 

Eeverend Mr. Jones continued: "The habits, life, customs, 
&c., of the Virginians are much the same as about London. 
The Planters and even the negroes, generally talk good Eng- 
lish, without idiom or tone, and can discourse handsomely on 
most common subjects. They are much civilized and wear 
the best cloaths, according to their stations; nay, sometimes 
too good for their circumstances, being for the generality 
comely, handsome persons, of good features, and fine com- 



88 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

plexions — if they take care — of good manners and address. 
The climate makes them bright, and of excellent sense, and 
sharp in trade; an idiot or deformed native being almost a 
miracle. They are more inclinable to read men by business 
and conversation than to dive into books, and are for the 
most part, only desirous of learning what is absolutely neces- 
sary, in the shortest and best method. As for education, sev- 
eral are sent to England for it, though the Virginians, being 
naturally of good parts, as I have already hinted, neither re- 
quire as much learning as we do." 

" The common planters leading easy lives, don't much ad- 
mire manly exercise, except horse racing; nor diversion, ex- 
cept cock fighting, in which some greatly delight. This easy 
way of living, and the heat of the summer, makes some very 
lazy, who are then said to be climate struch. The saddle horses, 
though not very large, are handy, strong, and fleet, and will 
pace naturally and pleasantly at a prodigious rate. They are 
such lovers of riding that almost every ordinary person keeps 
a horse ; and I have known some to spend the morning in rang- 
ing several miles in the woods to find and catch their horses, 
only to ride 2 or 3 miles to church, to the Court house, or 
to a horse race, where they generally appoint to meet upon 
business, and are more certain of finding those that they want 
to speak or deal with them than at their home." 

"ISTo people entertain their friends vdth. better cheer and 
welcome, and strangers and travellers are here treated in the 
most free, plentiful and hospitable manner, so that a few inns 
or ordinaries on the road are sufficient." 

Mr. Jones concluded : " If New England be called a re- 
ceptacle of Dissenters and an Amsterdam of religion, Pennsyl- 
vania a nursery of Quakers, Maryland the retirement of So- 
man Catholics, North Carolina the refuge of runaways, and 
Soutli Carolina the delight of Buccaneers and Pyrates, Vir- 
ginia may be justly esteemed the happy home of the true 
Briton, and true Churchman for the most part, neither soaring 
too high, nor dropping too low." 



OLD WILLIAMSBURG 89 

The first printing press erected in Virginia was in 1692, 
at Williamsburg, and the first Newspaper published in Vir- 
ginia was the " Virginia Gazette," the first edition of which 
was issued at Williamsburg, August 6, 1736. It was a sheet 
12 inches by 6 inches, printed by Wm. Parks, price 15 shill- 
ings per annum. In 1671, Sir Wm. Berkeley had thanked 
God there were no free schools nor printing presses in Virginia 
and hoped there would be none for hundreds of years to come. 
The printing press came in twenty-one years, and there were 
schools also. 

The first capitol building erected in Williamsburg was 
burned in 1746. The second one erected was burned in 1832. 
It was in this latter building that Patrick Henry made his 
first speech, in the House of Burgesses. 

Wirt relates an incident that occurred in this building 
when Washington was complimented for his gallantry by the 
speaker of the House of Burgesses : "After his glorious career 
in the French, and Indian Wars (he) was complimented by 
the Speaker, Mr. Robinson, for his gallantry; but in such 
glowing terms, that when he arose to express his acknowledge- 
ments for the honor, he blushed, and stammered, and trembled, 
unable to give distinct utterances to a single syllable; when 
the Speaker observing his trepidation relieved him by a mas- 
terly stroke of address, saying with a conciliating smile, ' Sit 
down, Mr. Washington; your modesty is equal to your valor, 
and that surpasses the power of any language that I possess.'" 



CHAPTER X 

Marrying in Old Virginia. 

The first permanent settlement in Virginia was begun as 
a bachelor kingdom, without the sound of the gentle voice of 
woman, and the cooing notes of infants. 

The conditions under which the colonists began to found 
a settlement in the new world precluded the introduction of 
womankind in the enterprise. And these conditions did not 
change until the date when lands were granted the colonist 
to cultivate, and to build upon, and to claim as his own indi- 
vidual property. Then it was that the bachelor housekeeper, 
when seated by his lonely fireside, discovered the need of a 
helpmeet to complete his happiness, and to render him content. 
He discovered that man's earthly paradise is only where 
woman dwells. 

The first white women to reach the colony were Mrs. Thos. 
Forrest and her maid, Anne Burrus. They came in 1608, 
and shortly thereafter Anne Burrus was married to Thos. 
Layton, who came to Virginia in 1607. In 1609, their first 
child, named Virginia Layton, was born and baptized at 
Jamestown. Three other daughters — Alice, Katherine, and 
Mary — were born to this couple. 

In 1632, the colony made a gift of five hundred acres of 
land to John Layton, situated in Elizabeth City County, in 
recognition officially of the birth of the first white child upon 
Virginia's soil. 

The first marriage between the English and the Indian 
races was that of John Eolfe and Pocahontas at Jamestown 
in 1614. 

Governor Yeardley soon after reaching Virginia, in 1619, 
proposed to the London Company to send one hundred boya 

[90] 



MAPuRYING IlN OLD VIRGINIA 91 

and girls as servants and apprentices; he also advised that 
one hundred young maids be sent as wives for the inhabitants ; 
" that wives, children and families might render them less 
moveable, and fix and settle them together with their posterity 
in the soil." He recommended that such of these maids as 
were married to the public farmers should be transported at 
the Company's expense; but if any were married to others, 
that those who took them to wife should repay the Company 
their charges of transportation. In consequence of this propo- 
sition, ninety maids were sent the following spring. 

In 1621, sixty young and handsome maids were sent to Vir- 
ginia. Recommendations and testimonials of their behavior 
accompanied each one so that the purchaser might be enabled 
to judge how to choose a wife. Boys were sent to be appren- 
tices to those who married these maids. 

It was stipulated that these maids should be married with 
their own consent to such freemen only as could support them 
handsomely. It was also stipulated that they were to be well 
used, and their marriage to servants was forbidden. 

The Company granted the adventurers who subscribed to the 
cost of shipping the maids and boys, a ratable proportion of 
land, according to the number of maids sent. The lands were 
to be laid off together, and formed into a town, to be called 
Maidstown. 

The price of wives was fixed at one hundred pounds of 
tobacco, and afterwards advanced to one hundred and fifty 
pounds, and proportionately more if any of them shoudd hap- 
pen to die on the passage to Virginia. A debt for a wife was 
of higher dignity than that of other debts, and to be paid first. 
As an inducement to marriage, married men were preferred 
in the selection of officers for the colony. Contentment fol- 
lowed this introduction of wives to Virginia, and soon there- 
after whole families, including wives, daughters, and sons 
came, and the necessity of shipping maids no longer existed, 
and the seeker for a wife no longer lugged his tobacco crop 



9^ LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

to the matrimonial market, but instead resorted to tlie custom 
of his forefathers, and planned a seige of old fashioned court- 
ship to win his bride. 

In old Virginia men and women married early in life. To 
the young man befell the task of the first introduction — get- 
ting acquainted. To the observer the trials of the young man 
in his courtship arp alwaj's amusing, but in early days they 
attracted even more attention than to-day. Custom upon the 
part of man, and modesty upon the part of woman have settled 
upon man the duty of making the first overtures towards a 
courtship. The man must make the first formal call upon his 
intended bride, and to a young man it is a perplexing problem 
how to frame an excuse for making this first visit. During 
the time spent in solving this problem, he devotes many hours 
to the combing of his hair and to the neat arrangement of 
his garments, and the family looking glass is in great demand. 
He reaches the "moping stage," and becomes serious and 
thoughtful, and has "doubtful spells'' like unto the sinner 
who is debating within himself, during a " powerful religious 
revival," whether he shall go to the "mourners' bench," or 
hang back among the sinners and lose salvation. 

Love finally surmounts all obstacles, and the young man 
after making a few calls, settles down to courtship in earnest.^ 

iThe following lines, though ludicrous, contain much truth: 

HIM. 

"He dressed himself from top to toe. 

He beat the latest fashion. 
He gave his boots an extra glov/. 
His >at it glistened like the snow. 
He sleeked his hair exactly so. 

And all to indicate 'his passion.' 
He tried his whole three ties before 
He kept the one that he wore. 



3IAEEYINa IN OLD VIRGINIA 93 

Primitive man captured his bride and took her by force 
instead of persuasion. His " best man " then was the friend 
who aided him in the capture. The " honeymoon " was the 
hasty flight of the man and his captured bride. In Ireland, 
" match makers " aided in forming matrimonial engagements, 
and in Virginia the old negro mammy house servant was often 
great aid to the young master or mistress during courtship. 

In the years after the colony became prosperous, a wedding 

HER. 

"All afternoon she laid abed 

To make her features brighter. 
She tried on every gown she had, 
And rasped her nails until they bled, 
A dozen times she fuzzed her head. 

And put on stuff to make her whiter, 
And fussed till she'd a cried, she said, 
But that would make her eyes so red. 

THE TWO. 

" They sat together in the dark 
Without a light, except their spark, 
And neither could have told or guessed 
What v/ay the t'other one was dressed." 

The following story illustrates how easily a man is perturbed 
in his courtship: 

There was an old sailor captain in one of the Northern Neck 
counties who was addicted to the habit of talking in his sleep. 
He had a pretty daughter who was courted by a timid young 
man. One moonlight night while the young couple were seated 
together in the parlor, and the young man was making progress 
towards " popping the question " which was to settle his matri- 
monial fate, there suddenly rang out in loud, gruff tones from 
the adjoining room: 

" You cussed land lubber, don't snub her so hard." 

The young man jumped up, grabbed his hat, and was upon 
the point of running out of the door when the daughter explained 
to him that her father was only dreaming he was getting his 
vessel fastened to a wharf. 



94 LIJ'E IN OLD VIRGINIA 

was a great social affair, whether celebrated in the " Great 
House " of the rich, on a big plantation by the river side, or in 
a log cabin in' the " Forest." ^ 

The weddings of the wealthy were occasions of stately eti- 
quette, and much formal ceremony. Many of the middle 
classes were scholarly and refined in their manners, and their 
marriages were equally ceremonious with those of their more 
wealthy neighbors. The marriages in the " Forest " were 
celebrated with less formality, and greater liberties for fun 
making were allowable. 

After the marriage ceremony and the wedding dinner, danc- 
ing followed. The figures of the dances in the Forest wera 
three or four handed reels, or square sets and jigs. The com- 
mencement was always a square four, which was followed by 
what was called " jigging it off; " that is, two or four would 
single out for a jig and were followed by the remaining 
couple. The jigs were often accompanied with what was 
called " cutting out ; " that is, when either of the parties be- 
came tired of the dance, on intimation the place was supplied 
by some one of the company without any interruption of the 
dance. In this way a dance was often continued so long as 
the fiddlers could play."" 

iThe selection of the day for marriage was regarded as of 
some Importance, preference being given to Wednesday. 
Monday for wealth, 
Tuesday for health, 
Wednesday the best day of all; 
Thursday for crosses, 
Friday for losses, 
Saturday no luck at all. 

» " The fiddler tunes the strings with pick of thumb and scrape 
of bow; 
Finds one string keyed a note too high, another keyed too low. 
Then rosins up the light-drawn hairSi, the young folks in a fret 
Until their ears are greeted with the warning words: 'All set.' 
When he hugs his fiddle to his cheek and scrapes the bow along. 



MARRYING IN OLD VIRGINIA 95 

Among the old time tunes are " Money Musk," " I had a 
Dog and His ISTame Was Eover, When He Had Fleas He Had 
'Em All Over," " Leather Breeches," " Won't You Come Out 
To-night," "The Devil's Dream," "Hop Light Ladies," 
" Mississippi Sawyer," " Old Zip Coon," "Arkansas Traveler," 
*' Clear the Track," " Billie In The Low Ground," " Virginia 
Reel," " Irish Washwoman," " Come Haste To The Wedding." 
Any of these tunes when played by an old time Tidewater 
Virginia fiddler would cure a case of chronic rheumatism—* 
at least for the time being. 

A marriage and dance in the Forest were sure to bring a 
large attendance, and if seats were scarce, which was often 
the case, every young man, when not engaged in the dance, 
was obliged to offer his lap as a seat for one of the girls ; and 
the offer was sure to be accepted. 

In singing tones he gives tlie word and tells them; ' Go it strong.' 

S'lute yo'r pardners! Let her go! 

Balance all an' do-se-do! 

Swing yo'r gals an' run away! 

Right and left and gents sashay! 

Gents to right an' swing or cheat! 

On to next gal an' repeat! 

Balance next an' don't be shy! 

Swing yo'r pard' an' swing her high! 

Bunch the gals an' circle 'round! 

Whack yo'r feet ontil they bound! 

Form a basket! Break away! 

Swing an' kiss an' all git gay! 

All men left an' balance all! 

Lift yo'r feet an' let 'em fall! 

Swing yo'r o'p'sites! Swing agin! 

Kiss the same gals if yo kin! 

Back to pardners, do-se-do! 

All jine hands an' off yo' go! 

Gents salute yo'r little sweets! 

Hitch an' promenade to seats. 
And thus the merry dance goes on till morning's struggling light 
In lengthening streaks of gray breaks down the barriers of 
night." 



96 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

After the wedding, if not sooner, a house was built for the 
newly married couple, upon the lands of the bride's, or the 
bridegroom's parents, and when it was ready for occupancy, 
the friends and neighbors who assisted in the building were 
invited to the " house warming," which consisted of a dinner 
and dancing. 

In days of slavery, the negro did not bother himself about 
a marriage license. He received the consent of his master to 
take a wife. In case of disagreement with his chosen spouse, 
he did not apply to divorce courts, but he simply said " Good- 
bye Liza Jane," and if his master was willing left his wife 
for good and all. The newspapers did not record the event; 
consequently, there were not so many public scandals as among 
the whites in many of the states at the present day. 

The favorite house servants were frequent exceptions to 
these customs. These chosen favorites were married in the 
master's home with all the formality and pomp which their 
master and mistress delighted to extend. Such servants were 
well instructed beforehand in their several parts, and the 
ceremonies were therefore entirely devoid of absurdities, and 
as solemn and imposing as were the same rites when partaken 
by the v/hites. The young white members of the family took 
great delight in contributing their quota of instructions, and 
added such articles of apparel to the wardrobes of the bride 
and groom, as were necessary to " sot 'em off " in good style. 

There was a certain social distinction between the "house 
servants," and the " cornfield niggers," as those who worked 
in the field on large plantations were styled among their 
own race. The manners of these two classes were very 
marked. The house servants generally partook more or less 
of the dignified manners of the white household, and in public 
places seldom engaged in boisterous and rough amusements 
so common with the "cornfield niggers," such as vsrrestling, 
kicking, loud singing, and jig dancing. 



CHAPTEil XI 
The Growth of Virginia in Colonial Days 

The story of the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and of 
its suffering for three years until Lord Delaware came to the 
colony as Governor-General, appointed by the London Com- 
pany has already been told. For the next nine years the 
colony grew gradually under Sir Thomas Dale and Sir George 
Yeardley and other governors. 

The year 1619 was the turning point in the history of 
Virginia. It marked the introduction of African slavery; 
the establishment of the first Legislative Assembly and of 
permanent home building by the importation of maidens to 
become the wives of the settlers. Its growth was now accen- 
tuated by the cultivation of tobacco for exportation the first 
tobacco having been shipped to England by John Eolfe in 
1614. This one article of commerce was the means of bring- 
ing numbers of settlers to the colony. The rapid growth of 
the colony was checked by the Indian massacre of 1622, but 
under the wise hand of Sir George Yeardle}'', the Indians 
were driven into the interior, and soon the colony was again 
flourishing. 

For the next eighteen years — from 1622 to 1640, Virginia 
had quite a number of governors ; some of more or less merit, 
but among them of especial note was Dr. John Pott, supposed 
to have been a doctor of medicine, though others said that he 
was a doctor of letters, who, after his career as governor was 
convicted of cattle-stealing. He was succeeded by Sir John 
Harvey, who was the first governor to be deposed by. the peo- 
ple of Virginia. The people regarded his administration as 
too harsh, and the Council met and removed him from office. 
This was just ten years after James I had issued his Quo 
7 [97] 



98 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Warranto proceedings, by which the charter of the London 
Companj^ had been repealed, and Virginia had become a Royal 
Province. Hence the tendency of the Virginians to resist the 
royal representative was interpreted as an act against the king 
himself, so the then monarch, Charles I, very promptly re- 
proved his subjects in Virginia, and re-instated Harvey as 
Governor. Finally, however, the king yielded, and removed 
Harvey and the trouble was at an end. 

A few years later there came to Virginia a character des- 
tined to figure prominently in its history — no less a person 
than Sir William Berkeley, a gentleman of culture and scholar- 
ship; a play-wright and courtier; every inch a ruler, with 
many of the qualities essential to the make-up of a tyrant. 
Berkeley came at the time that England was about to engage 
in a civil war. It was the period when Parliament was mak- 
ing demands of the king on questions of taxation; demands 
which the king was slow to satisfy. The Civil War came on 
and the king's party was defeated, which resulted in a number 
of persons fleeing to Virginia so that the period from 1640 
to 1650 marked rapid growth in the colony and by the time 
that Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, there were some 
fifteen thousand people firmly planted on Virginia soil. 
After the establishment of the English Commonwealth a com- 
mission of three, containing two Virginians — Richard Ben- 
nett and William Claiborne — were appointed to demand the 
surrender of the Virginia colony to the Lord Protector. In 
1653 they reached Jamestown, where Berkeley was in com- 
mand. It seems that Berkeley wished to give battle to the 
commissioners of Cromwell, but that the Assembly which was 
then in session was opposed to such action, so that the final 
result was that an agreement was reached between the com- 
missioners representing the Protector and the Assembly of 
Virginia, by which the Lord Protector and the Common- 
wealth of England were duly recognized, with the under- 
standing that Virginia should enjoy free trade and that no 



GROWTH OF VIRGINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 99 

impositions of taxes were to be permitted within the colony, 
save by the consent of the Assembly. This was a wonderful 
concession for so weak a colony to secure from the Mother 
Country at that day and time. 

Berkeley quietly retired from the governor-ship to Green 
Spring, his plantation some six miles from Jamestown, and 
and the Assembly immediately elected Eichard Bennett, the 
Puritan, as Governor of Virginia. For seven years the colony 
was ruled by the Assembly and governors chosen by it, after 
which, on the restoration of Charles II to the throne of 
England, Sir William Berkeley resumed the reins of govern- 
ment, and Virginia again passed into the hands of the king. 
It now numbered some twenty odd thousand inhabitants. 

From 1660 to 1676, Berkeley was the autocrat of Virginia. 
It was a period of rapid growth in population and in indus- 
tries. Virginia soon had twenty counties, none of which 
were settled beyond the Tidewater region. The population 
by 1670 was forty thousand, of whom some tv/o thousand were 
slaves and six thousand white indented servants. There 
were forty-eight parishes supplied with ministers of more or 
less learning. The Indians had gradually been driven back 
beyond the head of Tidewater, but they were giving trouble 
to the whites by harrassing the settlers on the frontier. The 
conflict between the Indians and the whites brought on Bacon's 
Eebellion, when young ISTathaniel Bacon demanded of Berkeley 
a commission to go against the Indians and to exterminate 
them, or to drive them from the frontiers. Berkeley refused 
to grant the commission, for fear that the Virginians in arms 
would turn against him and his government, for he had for- 
gotten that the people had any rights, and had kept the same 
Assembly in power for fifteen years ; was enforcing obnoxious 
taxes, and in many ways proving himself a tyrant. He was 
finally forced to yield, and he granted Bacon his commission 
and called another Assemby, but the result of it all was a dis- 
pute between Berkeley and Bacon which resulted in Bacon's ar- 



100 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

rest, then his release and finally his flight from Jamestown and 
the raising of a force which marched against Berkeley. No seri- 
ous battles ensued, but Jamestown was taken and burned, after 
which Bacon proceeded to Gloucester County, where he was 
taken sick with a fever and died. Berkeley then regained con- 
trol of the government, and put to death twenty-three of 
Bacon's followers. Charles II was so disappointed with Berke- 
ley that he finally removed him in 1677. We are told that 
the old Governor, on his return to England, died of a broken 
heart. 

For the next thirty-five years the growth of the colony was 
steady from the head of Tidewater to the foot of the moun- 
tains. In this period the College of William and Mary was 
chartered in 1693 by William and Mary, the Sovereigns of 
England. This college soon came to be the institution from 
which many of the sons of prominent Virginia planters were 
soon to be graduated though numbers of them also went to 
England. 

In 1710 came Spotswood as governor. At once he revived 
the iron industry of Virginia which had been first begun 
some ninety years before. He established an iron furnace at 
Germanna, not far from the present city of Fredericksburg. 
Soon after that he began his famous expedition across the 
mountains. With some members of his staff he left Williams- 
burg and drove in his coach to Germanna. Here he left his 
coach and with other gentlemen who Joined him, proceeded 
on horse along the Rappahannock River, and in thirty-six days 
from the time he left Williamsburg, he scaled the mountains 
near Swift Run Gap. The company descended the moun- 
tains on the west side and reached the Shenandoah River. 
Proceeding by the river, they found a place where it was ford- 
able, crossed it, and there on the western bank, the governor 
formally took possession for King George I. of England. 
After eight weeks, he returned to Williamsburg, having trav- 
eled in all four hundred and forty miles. 



GROWTH OF YIRGiyiA IN COLONIAL DAYS 101 

It is hard for us to believe that less than two hundred years 
ago, when Spotswood entered the beautiful Valley of Vir- 
ginia, it was the haunt of bears, wolves, panthers, wild cats 
and buffaloes. The Indians did not live there, but preserved 
it for their hunting grounds. Those who aecompanied Spots- 
wood on the famous expedition have been known in history 
as the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. At that time in 
eastern Virginia, on account of the sandy soil, few horseshoes 
were used; but, when Spotswood and his expedition set out 
from Fredericksburg over the rocky, untraveled wilderness, 
it was found necessary that the horses shoiild be shod. Upon 
the return from his journey, the governor presented "each 
of his companions with a golden horseshoe, . . . covered 
with valuable stones resembling heads of nails with the in- 
scription on one side, 'Sic juvat transcendere montes.' " The 
climbing of the mountains was regarded in those days as a 
dangerous and wonderful undertaking, and it was noised 
abroad throughout the colony. 

In this expedition was an ensign in the British army, John 
Fontaine, who wrote an account of the trip. After telling of 
crossing the Shenandoah Eiver, he said, "It is very deep. The 
main course of the water is north. It is four score yards 
wide in the narrowest part. We drank some health on the 
other side and returned, after which I went a swimming in 
it. ... I got som.e grasshoppers and fish, and another and 
I, we catched a dish of fish, some perch, and a kind of fish 
they call chub. The others went a hunting and killed deer 
and turkeys. ... I graved my name on a tree by the river 
side, and the governor buried a bottle with a paper enclosed 
on which he writ that he took possession of this place in the 
name and for King George I. of England." 

In 1723 Spotswood retired from the governorship, and was 
succeeded by Drysdale, who later turned over the reins of 
governor to William Gooch, who was governor for thirteen 
years. During Gooch's administration, settlers came into the 



102 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Valley of Virginia, and the northern Shenandoah Valley be- 
came a section of thrift and industry. Into it came Scotch, 
Irish and Germans. These people were granted religious tole- 
ration, and after a few years they pushed southward, even to 
the boundaries of North Carolina. Prominent among the set- 
tlers of the Valley was the Lewis family, composed of the 
sons of John Lewis — Thomas, William, Charles and Andrew. 
Charles Lewis was killed at the battle of Pomt Pleasants, in 
1774. Thomas Lewis was a prominent member of the House 
of Burgesses in 1765, and voted for Henry's famous Stamp 
Act Resolution. His home was in that part of Augusta 
which was made into Rockingham County in 1778. William 
Lewis was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, at the time 
Tarleton raided Charlottesville. On account of sickness, he 
was unable to go to the defence of his state, and the story is 
told that his wife prepared her three sons, of the ages thir- 
teen, fifteen and seventeen to go in his stead, saying to them : 
"Go, my children, keep back the foot of the invader from the 
soil of Augusta or see my face no more." When this story 
was reported to Washington, he said, "Leave me but a banner 
to plant upon the mountains of Augusta, and I will rally 
around me the men who will lift our bleeding country from 
the dust and set her free." Andrew Lewis was a great Indian 
fighter, and to him more than anyone else is due the credit 
of having gradually driven the Indians westward across the 
Alleghany mountains and finally across the Ohio River, for 
it was he who met the Indians under Cornstalk at Point 
Pleasants in 1774 and inflicted upon them a defeat from 
which they never recovered. 

The time from Bacon's Rebellion to the battle of Point 
Pleasants was in round numbers one hundred years. During 
this period the population of Virginia had increased more 
than five fold, and at least one-half of the population was 
west of the Tidewater Virginia line. The progress westward 
18 indicated by the formation of the following counties : 



GROWTH OF VIRGINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 103 

(1) Brunswick County formed in 1720 from Surry and Isla 
of "Wight, and named for the Dulce of Brunswick. 

(2) Goochland County formed in 1727 from Henrico, and 
named for Governor Gooch of Virginia. 

(3) Prince William County formed in 1730 from Stafford 
and King George and named for Prince William, one of the 
sons of George I. 

(4) Amelia County formed in 1734 from a part of Prince 
George, and named for Princess Amelia. It was the home 
of William B. Giles and Major Joseph Eggleston. A noted 
Negro preacher, by the name of Uncle Jack, who lived in 
Amelia, was a well known character in this county. Howe in 
his history says of Uncle Jack, " He was kidnapped, and 
brought from Africa at seven years of age, and landed at 
Osborne's on James Eiver, from what it is supposed was the 
last slaveship which deposited its cargo in Virginia. Such was 
his worth of character, that, on the death of his master, several 
benevolent individuals, by their contributions purchased his 
freedom. One, who knew him well, said, 'I regard this old 
African as a burning light, raised up by Christian principles 
alone, to a degree of moral purity seldom equalled, and never 
exceeded in any country.' The late Rev. Dr. Rice also re- 
marked, ' The old man's acquaintance with the scriptures is 
wonderful. Many of his interpretations of obscure passages 
of scripture are singularly just and striking. In many re- 
spects, indeed, he is the most remarkable man I ever knew.' 

"His views of the leading doctrines of Christianity were 
thorough and evangelical. His preaching abounded with quo- 
tations surprisingly minute, and his illustrations were vivid 
and correct. His knowledge of human nature was profound; 
and hence his extensive usefulness among the African popu- 
lation, as well as an extensive circle of whites. His language 
was pure English, without the vulgarities of the blacks. In 
his intercourse with all classes he was governed by Christian 
humility, and he abhorred cant and grimace. He uniformly 



104 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Opposed, both in public and private, everything like noise and 
disorder in the house of God. His colored audience were very 
prone to indulge themselves in this way. But, whenever they 
did, he uniformly suspended the exercises until they became 
silent. On one of these occasions, he rebuked his hearers sub- 
stantially as follows : *You noisy Christians remind me of the 
little branches after a heavy rain. They are soon full — then 
noisy — and as soon empty. I had a great deal rather see you 
like the broad, deep river, which is quiet because it is broad 
and deep.' 

" Of this worthy and strong-minded old man, we take the 
liberty of annexing a few anecdotes, drawn from his memoir 
in the Watchman of the South. In speaking of the excite- 
ment and noise at a protracted meeting, he remarked, 'I was 
reminded of what I have noticed in the woods : when the 
wind blows hard, -the dry leaves make a great deal more noise 
than the green ones.' When persons scoffed at his religion, 
his usual diffidence and reserve would give way to a firm and 
dignified defence, and most happily would he 'answer a fool 
according to his folly.' A person addicted to horse-racing and 
card-playing stopped him one day on the road, and said : 'Old 
man, you Christians say a great deal about the way to heaven 
being very narrow. Now, if this be so, a great many who 
profess to be traveling it will not find it half wide enough.' 
'That's very true,' was the reply, 'of all who have merely a 
name to live, and all like you.' 'Why refer to me ? ' asked the 
man; 'if the road is wide enough for any, it is for me.' 'By 
no means,' replied Uncle Jack; 'when you set out you will 
want to take along a card-table, and a race-horse or two. 
Now, there's no room along this way for such things, and 
what would you do, even in heaven, without them?' An in- 
dividual accustomed to treat religion rather sportively, and 
who prided himself upon his morality, said to him, 'Old man, 
I am as good as I need be ; I can't help thinlcing so, because 
God blesses me as much as he does vou Christians, and I don't 



GROWTH OF VIRGINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 105 

know what more I want than he gives me.' To this the old 
preacher replied, with great seriousness, 'Just so with the 
hogs. I have often looked at them, rooting among the leaves 
in the woods, and finding just as many acorns as they needed ; 
and yet I never saw one of them look up to the tree from 
whence the acorns fell.' In speaking of the low state of re- 
ligion, he said, 'there seems to be a great coldness and dead- 
ness on the subject of religion everywhere; the fire has almost 
gone out, and nothing is left but a few smoking chumps, 
lying about in places.' 

"The laws of Virginia prohibit religious a& well as other 
assemblies of slaves, unless at least two white persons are 
.present. Such, however, was the universally acknowledged 
happy influence of Uncle Jack's meetings, that in his case it 
was not deemed necessary to enforce the law. On once occa- 
sion, some mischievous persons undertook to arrest and whip 
him and several of his hearers. After the arrest, one of the 
number thus accosted Uncle Jack : 'Well, old fellow, you are 
the ringleader of all these meetings, and we have been anxious 
to catch you; now, what have you got to say for yourself?' 
'IsTothing at all, master,' was the reply. 'What ! nothing to 
say against being whipped ! how is that ?' 'I have been won- 
dering for a long time,' said he, 'how it was that so good a 
man as the Apostle Paul should have been whipped three 
times for preaching the Gospel, while such an unworthy man 
as I am should have been permitted to preach for twenty 
years, without ever getting a lick.' It is hardly necessary to 
add that these young men immediately released him." 

(5) Orange County formed in 1734 from Spotsylvania and 
named after Orange in Holland. This county was the home 
of James Madison, Governor James Barbour, Judge Philip 
Pendleton Barbour, and the birth place of Zachariah Taylor 
and General Wingfield Scott. 

(6) Augusta County formed in 1738 from Orange and 
named in honor of Princess Augusta. Previously, all that 



106 -JjIFE in old VIRGINIA 

part of Virginia lying west of the Blue Eidge was included in 
Orange ; but in the fall session of this year it was divided into 
the counties of Frederick and Augusta. Frederick county 
was bounded by the Potomac on the norths the Blue Ridge on 
the east, and a line to be run from the head spring of Hedg- 
man to head spring of the Potomac, on the south and west ; 
the remainder of Virginia, west of the Blue Eidge, to consti- 
tute Augusta. As the population increased, the limits of 
Augusta were reduced until it reached its present bound- 
aries in 1790. It was in the limits of this county that John 
Lewis dwelt. 

(7) Frederick County formed in 1738 from Orange and 
named in honor of Prince Frederick. In 1752 the town of 
Winchester was established by Act of Assembly. It was in 
this town that General "Washington procured baggage horses, 
etc., in 1753 when on his misson to the French on the Ohio. 

(8) Louisa County formed in 1742 from Hanover and 
named in honor of Queen Louisa. 

(9) Albemarle County formed in 1744 from Goochland 
and named in honor of the Duke of Albemarle. It was the 
birth place of Thomas Jefferson, who always made his resi- 
dence at Monticello, in this county. It was also the home 
of Meriwether Lewis, and the birth place of George Eogers 
Clark. 

(10) Lunenburg County formed in 174G from Brunswick 
and named after Lunenburg, Germany. 

(11) Chesterfield County formed in 1748 from Henrico 
and named after Lord Chesterfield. It is the county in which 
John Randolph spent his bojdiood days. At Falling Creek 
was the first iron furnace in America. 

(12) Culpeper County formed in 1748 from Orange and 
named for Lord Culpeper, governor of Virginia. In 1749 
Washington was appointed by the President and Masters of 
William and Mary College surveyor of this county. It was 
this county which sent out the famous Culpeper Minute- 



GROWTH OF VIRGINIA IN COLONIAL DATS 107 

men, in 1775, to join Patrick Henry with a banner having 
upon it the words, "Culpeper Minute Men/' and in the centre 
a rattlesnake coiled ready to strike with the words "Liberty" 
on one side and "Or Death" on the other, and beneath the 
gnake the words "Don't Tread On Me." 

(13) Cumberland County formed in 1748 from Goochland 
and named for the Duke of Cumberland. 

(14) Dinwiddle County formed in 1752 from Prince 
George and named in honor of Governor Dinwiddle. 
Its main town Petersburg was named after Peter Jones who 
accompanied Col. William Byrd on his expedition to survey 
the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina. 

(15) Halifax County formed in 1752 from Lunenburg and 
named after Halifax in England. 

(16) Bedford County formed in 1753 from Lunenburg 
and named after Bedford in England. In this county are 
the celebrated Peaks of Otter. 

(17) Prince Edward County formed in 1753 from Amelia 
and named after one of the sons of George II. In this 
county is Hampden Sidney College, which began as an acad- 
emy before the Revolutionary days under the support of the 
Presbyterians of the south side of Virginia. 

(18) Hampshire County formed in 1754 from Frederick 
and Augusta. It was the first county in that part of Vir- 
ginia which is now included in West Virginia. It was named 
after Hampshire in England. 

(19) Loudon County formed in 1757 from Fairfax and 
named in honor of the Earl of Loudon, at that time com- 
mander of the English forces in America. In this county at 
Oakhill resided President Monroe. 

(20) Fauquier County formed in 1759 from Prince Wil- 
liam and named after Governor Fauquier. This county was 
the birth place of John Marshall. 

(21) Amherst County formed in 1761 from Albemarla and 
named after Lord Amherst. 



108 LIFE IX OLD VIRGINIA 

(23) Buckingham County formed in 1761 from Albemarle 
and named after Buckingham in England. In this county 
lived the renowned soldier of the Eevolution, Peter Francisco. 
Howe in his history says of him: "His origin was ob- 
scure. He supposed that he was a Portugese by birth, and 
that he was kidnapped when an infant and carried to Ireland. 
He had no recollection of his parents, and the first knowledge 
he preserved of himself was that he was in that country when a 
small boy. Hearing much of x\merica and being of an ad- 
venturous turn, he indented himself to a sea captain for 
seven years, in payment for his passage. On his arrival he 
was sold to Anthony Winston, Esq., of this county, on whose 
estate he labored faithfully until the breaking out of the 
revolution. He was then at the age of sixteen, and partaking 
of the patriotic enthusiasm of the times, he asked and ob- 
tained permission of his owner to enlist in the army. At 
the storming of Stony Point he was the first soldier, after 
Major Gibbon, who entered the fortress, on which occasion 
he received a bayonet wound in the thigh. He was 
at BrandjTR^ine, Monmouth, and other battles at the north, 
and was transferred to the south under Greene, where he 
was engaged in the actions of the Cowpens, Camden, Guilford 
Court-house, etc. He was a very brave man, and possessed 
such confidence in his prowess as to be almost fearless. He 
used a sword having a blade five feet in length which he 
could wield like a feather, and every swordsman who came 
in contact with him, paid the forfeit of his life. His ser- 
vices were so distinguished that he would have been promoted 
to an office had he been enabled to write. His stature was 
six feet and an inch, and his weight 260 pounds. His com- 
plexion was dark and swarthy, features bold and manly, and 
his hands and feet uncommonly large. Such was his personal 
strength, that he could easily shoulder a cannon weighing 
1,100 pounds; and our informant, a highly respectable gen- 
tleman now residing in this county, in a communication be- 



GROWTH OF VIRGINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 109 

fore us, says : 'He could take me in his right hand and pass 
over the room with me, and play my head against the ceiling, 
as though I had been a doll-baby. My weight was 195 pounds !' 
The following anecdote, illustrative of Francisco's valor, has 
often been published : 

'''While the British army were spreading havoc and deso- 
lation all around them, by their plunderings and burnings in 
Virginia, in 1781, Francisco had been reconnoitering, and 

while stopping at the house of a Mr. V , then in Amelia, 

now Nottoway county, nine of Tarleton's cavalry came up, 
with three negroes, and told him he was their prisoner. See- 
ing he was overpowered by numbers, he made no resistance. 
Believing him to be very peaceable, they all went into the 
house, leaving him and the paymaster together. 'Give up 
instantly all that you possess of value/ said the latter, 'or pre- 
pare to die.' 'I have nothing to give up,' said Francisco, 'so 
use your pleasure.' 'Deliver instantly,' rejoined the soldier, 
'those massy silver buckles which you wear in your shoes.' 
'They were a present from a valued friend,' replied Francisco, 
'and it would grieve me to part with them. Give them into 
your hands I never will. You have the power; take them if 
you think fit.' The soldier put his sabre under his arm, and 
bent down to take them. Francisco, finding so favorable an 
opportunity to recover his liberty, stepped one pace in his 
rear, drew the sword with force from under his arm, and in- 
stantly gave him a blow across the skull. 'My enemy,' ob- 
served Francisco, 'was brave, and though severely wounded, 
drew a pistol, and in the same moment that he pulled the 
trigger, I cut his hand nearly off. The bullet grazed my 

side. Ben V (the man of the house) very ungenerously 

brought out a musket, and gave it to one of the British sol- 
diers and told him to make use of that. He mounted the 
only horse they could get, and presented it at my breast. It 
missed fire. I rushed on the muzzle of the gun. A short 
struggle ensued. I disarmed and wounded him. Tarleton's 



110 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

troop of four hundred men were in sight. All was hurry and 
confusion, which I increased by repeatedly hallooing, as loud 
as I could. Come on my brave boys ; now's your time ; we will 
soon dispatch these few, and then attack the main body ! The 
wounded man flew to the troop ; the others were panic struck, 

and fled. I seized V and would have dispatched him, but 

the poor wretch begged for his life ; he was not only an object 
of my contempt, but pity. The eight horses that were left be- 
hind, I gave him to conceal for me. Discovering Tarleton 
had dispatched ten more in pursuit of me, I made off. I 
evaded their vigilance. They stopped to refresh themselves. 
I, like an old fox, doubled and fell on their rear. I went the 

next day to V for my horses; he demanded two for his 

trouble and generous intentions. Finding my situation dan- 
gerous and surrounded by enemies where I ought to have 
found friends, I went off with my six horses, I intended to 
have avenged myself on V at a future day, but Provi- 
dence ordained I should not be his executioner, for he broke 
his neck by a fall from one of the very horses.' " 

(23) Mecklenburg County formed in 1764 from Lunen- 
burg and named after Mecklenburg in Germany. It was at 
Boydton that the Randolph Macon College was established in 
1832. 

(24) Pittsylvania County formed in 1767 from Halifax 
and named after William Pitt. 

(25) Botetourt County formed in 1769 from Augusta and 
named after Governor Botetourt. It was in this part of Au- 
gusta county that Andrew Lewis had his home. 

(26) Berkeley County formed in 1772 from Frederick and 
named after Lord Berkeley. It was the second county to be 
organized in what is now West Virginia. Many of the early 
settlers in this locality were Scotch Presbyterians. There 
were many Indian troubles in this locality in the early days. 
There is an interesting anecdote, related by Kercheval, in 
his account of Indian incursions and massacres in this region. 



GROWTH OF VIRQINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 111 

of a young and beautiful girl, named Isabella Stockton, who 
was taken prisoner in the attack on Neally's Fort, and car- 
ried and sold to a Canadian in Canada. A young French- 
man, named Plata becoming enamored with her, made pro- 
posals of matrimony. This she declined unless her parents' 
consent could be obtained — a strong proof of her filial affec- 
tion and good sense. The Frenchman conducted her home, 
readily believing that his generous devotion and attachment 
to the daughter would win their consent. But the prejudices 
then existing against the French, made her parents and 
friends peremptorily reject his overtures. Isabella then 
agreed to elope with him, and mounting two of her father's 
horses, they fled, but were overtaken by her two brothers in 
pursuit, by whom she was forcibly torn from her lover and 
protector and carried back to her parents, while the poor 
Frenchman was warned th^t his life should be the forfeit of 
any farther attempts. 

(27) Shenandoah County formed in 1772 from Frederick, 
and first named Dunmore. In 1777, on account of the odium 
attached to the name of Lord Dunmore, it took the name of 
the river which flows through it. This county was settled 
chiefly by Germans from Pennsylvania, a hard working, in- 
dustrious people. Howe narrates, "In the year 1758, a party 
of about fifty Indians and four Frenchmen penetrated into 
the Mill Creek neighborhood, about nine miles south of Wood- 
stock and committed some murders, and carried off forty- 
eight prisoners. Among them was a young lad of the name 
of Fisher, about thirteen years of age. 

" After six day's travel they reached their village west of 
the Alleghany mountains, where they held a council, and de- 
termined to sacrifice their helpless prisoner, Jacob Fisher. 
They first ordered him to collect a quantity of dry wood. The 
poor little fellow shuddered, burst into tears, and told his 
father they intended to burn him. His father replied, 'I 
hope not; and advised him to obey. When he had collected 



112 LIFE IX OLD VIRGINIA 

a sufficient quantity of wood to answer their purpose, they 
cleared and smoothed a ring around a sapling to which they 
tied him by one hand, and then formed a trail of wood around 
the tree, and set it on fire. The poor boy was then compelled 
to run round in this ring of fire until his rope wound him 
up to the sapling, and then back until he came in contact 
with the flame, while his infernal tormentors were drinking, 
singing and dancing around him, with 'horrid joy/ This 
was continued for several hours, during which time the sav- 
age men became beastly drunk, and as they fell prostrate to 
the ground, the squaws would keep up the fire. With long 
poles prepared for the purpose, they would pierce the body of 
their victim whenever he flagged, until the poor and helpless 
boy fell, and expired with the most excruciating torments, 
while his father and brothers, who were prisoners, were com- 
pelled to be witnesses of the heart-rending tragedy. 

"In 1766, two men by the name of Slieetz and Taylor, had 
taken their wives and children in a wagon, and were on 
their way to the fort at Woodstock. At the Narrow Passage, 
three miles south of Woodstock five Indians attacked them. 
The two men were killed at the first onset, and the Indians 
rushed to seize the women and children. The women, in- 
stead of swooning at the sight of their bleeding, expiring 
husbands, seized their axes, and with Amazonian firmness 
and strength almost superhuman, defended themselves and 
children. One of the Indians had succeeded in getting hold 
of one of Mrs. Sheetz's children, and attempted to drag it 
out of the wagon; but with the quiclmess of lightning she 
caught her child in one hand and with the other made a 
blow at the head of the fellow, which caused him to quit his 
hold to save his life. Several of the Indians received pretty 
sore wounds in this desperate conflict, and all at least ran 
off, leaving the two women with their children to pursue 
their way to the fort." 

In Shenandoah County lived, at the opening of the Eevolu- 



GROWTH OF VlPiGINIA IN COLONIAL DAYS 113 

tion, General Peter Muhlenburg. Of him Howe says : "Gen. 
Peter Mulilenburg was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
by profession a clergyman of the Lutheran order. At the 
breaking out of the revolution, he was a young man about 
thirty years of age, and pastor of a Lutheran church at Wood- 
stock. In 1776, he received the commission of colonel, and 
was requested to raise his regiment among the Germans of 
the valley. Having in his pulpit inculcated the principles 
of liberty, he found no difficulty in enlisting a regiment. He 
entered the pulpit with his sword and cockade, preached his 
farewell sermon, and the next day marched at the head of 
his regiment to join the army. His regiment was the Eighth 
Virginia, or as it was commonly called, the German regiment. 
This corps behaved with honor throughout the war. They 
were at Brandywine, Monmouth, and Gerniantown, and in 
the southern campaigns. In 1777, Mr. Muhlenburg was pro- 
moted to the rank of brigadier-general. After the war he 
returned to Pennsylvania, and was appointed treasurer of 
that State, where he ended his days. In person Gen. Muhlen- 
burg was tall and well proportioned, and in his address, re- 
markably courteous. He was a fine disciplinarian, an excel- 
lent officer and esteemed and beloved bv both officers and sol- 
diers." 



CHAPTER XII. 
Some Observations on Tidewater People 



The greater percentage of the direct descendants of the 
original families who made the first permanent settlement of 
the English speaking people in America a success, are more 
likely to be found in rural Tidewater Virginia than in any 
locality of equal size elsewhere in the United States. Up to 
the ending of the Civil War, there were few accessions to the 
population of this section of Virginia, and very few foreigners 
resident there. 

The United States Census of 1900 credited the State of 
Virginia with ninety-nine per cent, of native born population, 
and one per cent, of foreign born population, then resident 
within its limits. The one per cent, of foreigst born resi- 
dents were largely within the cities and big towns of the 
State. 

In some counties of Tidewater Virginia, one may travel 
for continuous days without meeting other than native resi- 
dents whose ancestors came direct from Europe many years 
ago. 

Immediately upon the formation of the several counties in 
Tidewater Virginia, the best spots, and the most fertile soils 
were selected and appropriated into vast estates, in the midst 
of which was the owner's mansion, probably far away from 
the public road, and the public gaze. Such homes needed not 
the attraction of a passing procession. They held within their 
walls, and their surrounding wide fields sufficient attraction 
for the mind and body of him who was content to lead a 
decent life. 

The most coveted lands were those to be found situated 
[114] 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 115 

contiguous to navigable streams, wlierefroin their products 
could be readily and cheaply forwarded to market. The next 
choice of lands were those situated upon the outskirts of the 
big estates, where grew heavy timber. The choice spots of 
heavily timbered lands were also the property of the agricul- 
tural "barons of the waters side." The owners of the large 
estates never thought of putting a price upon them. In fact 
it would have been an inexcusable affront for one to suggest 
such a contingency as " sell the home." There was no place 
else for them upon this broad earth other than where their 
ancestors dwelt. Under these conditions there were no lands 
for sale, other than the remoter, poor, sandy soils in the in- 
teriors of the peninsulas, much of which were settled by the 
poorer classes, who also were greatly attached to the soil where 
their forefathers also lived and died. Thus it was that the 
lands of Virginia became " The Sacred Soil." 

Because of this manner of appropriating the soil, and the 
lack of rapid communication, and transportation facilities 
throughout this section, there was left but little or no induce- 
ment for an outsider to " come in and stay." The newcomer 
had but one choice left him — the poorest lands; thus one 
sees why this territory had not increased its population 
proportionately with other less favored sections of the United 
States. 

When the Civil War ended, and emancipation changed the 
old established forms of labor, there were left many " land 
poor " landlords. Since then many of these big estates have 
been curtailed in their dimensions by sales to the former ser- 
vants, and to outsiders who are thus encouraged in the oppor- 
tunity to build up and foster industries hitherto denied this 
section. 

After about its first century of settlement, it was never 
again the territory to which immigrants from the old world 
came to settle, as they did to other parts of the United States. 
The fact that its southern and eastern boundaries are covered 



116 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

"With wide waters — the Chesapeake Bay, and Potomac River — » 

and that there are no railroad facilities in its interior sec- 
tions, may account for the loss of even transient travel 
throughout its limits. It is therefore less known, by means 
of direct intercourse through its territory, than perhaps any 
other locality of its size in the United States, notwithstanding 
its history is the earliest and most interesting of all that terri- 
tory which comprised the original thirteen States. 

The extension of railroad facilities throughout these coun- 
ties would facilitate the transportation of their commodities 
more rapidly to market, and would also bring their lands 
within easy reach and notice of the outside public, thereby 
enhancing their values which under present conditions and 
surroundings are justly believed to be greatly undervalued. 

Tidewater Virginia is nature's sanitarium for the ner- 
vously wrecked humanity of city life. There are numberless 
points of land — little peninsulas — overlooking pretty streams, 
throughout all that section which are suited to make the ideal 
home for the nerve wrecked business man, who, because of the 
necessities of the modem life, is so frequently the victim. 

There are numerous suitable locations for such homes with- 
in less than one hundred miles from the Capital City of the 
United States. Many of these spots are yet in the primi- 
tively quiet condition in which Captain John Smith first 
viewed them on his voyages of discovery throughout this 
section in the year 1608, in search of a passage way to the 
Indies. They are enlivened only by the echoing whistle of 
some passing steamer as she plows a watery furrow on her 
voyage up or down their quiet streams, and blows a warning 
of steam to the drowsy wharf master, to get himself in readi- 
ness to " grab her bow line " and " snub her," ere she slips 
into the dark of the overhanging pines, and is lost in the 
wilderness of shadows and waters, and made a wreck on the 
shore. 

The points of land, jutting out between rivers or creeks, 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 117 

were the seats of the largest land owners, and wealthiest 
planters, and were the more remote spots from the public 
gaze. In such places often were found the cradles of pro- 
found thought, and the seats of learning, as 'v^ell as wealth. 
From these locations came the famous men of Virginia, and 
of the nation during the earliest and later years of history. 

To characterize a people is to give an account of their dis- 
tinguishing personal qualities. 

An extraordinary proof of the orderly condition of the 
people inhabiting this section may be had by reference to the 
report of the State Auditor of the criminal expenses of the 
counties comprising it, during the fiscal year ending Sep- 
tember 30, 1905. A few extracts from this report are here- 
with appended: 

Charles City County, criminal expenses $174 27 

Essex County, criminal expenses 172 28 

King and Queen County, criminal expenses 79 50 

New Kent County, criminal expenses 142 33 

Northumberland County, criminal expenses 162 99 

Stafford County, criminal expenses 159 46 

York County, criminal expenses 116 67 

City of Fredericksburg, criminal expenses 434 20 

City of Williamsburg, criminal expenses 44 80 

These are the criminal expenses of a county or city during 
a whole twelve months. Criminal expenses increase through- 
out the several counties only in proportion to the number of 
alien, or non-native persons either permanently or temporarily 
resident therein. The increase of criminal expenses is rarely 
caused by offences committed by the native residents. The 
man, white, or black, who should become a menace to the peace 
and quiet of society there would not be tolerated. Heinous 
crimes against one's fellow man are things almost unknown 
in many of these sections. Very many of the county jails 
are untenanted for successive months, and others have been 
vacant for succeeding years. 



118 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The people of Tidewater have developed and practiced 
these traits of honorable character in their dealings with one 
another, and with strangers within their gates, which 
approach as near to the " Golden Eule " as can be found in 
the same aggregate of population anywhere else in the United 
States. 

Without fear or trepidation, one is able to travel during 
the darkest nights over the lonely public roads, notwithstand- 
ing the many favorable spots within the dense woods which 
could be found suited to commit dark deeds, free from the 
sight and hearing of all but a dastardly villian and his victim. 

These people are proverbially courteous to one another and 
to strangers. The abrupt manner often so prominent in 
many other sections of the United States, and especially in 
the densely populated communities, is not in evidence in 
Tidewater Virginia. Wlien they meet, they take time to 
greet each other, and the frequent and sociable answer to the 
personal inquiry is " I'm tol'able, thank you." 

The most common manner of salutation with the "black 
mammy " is : " Howdy Sis' Jane," or, addressing one by the 
Christian name only, and the answer may be: "I'm right 
smaht pohly, thank de Lawd. How is yo' ?" " Sistah 
Jane " means by her reply that she thanks the Lord she is not 
worse than poorly. 

The negro men are usually less serious in their greetings, 
and will frequently answer such inquiry in a mirthful tone: 
" I'se right smaht an' sha-ap f o' an ol' man, thank you'." 
This manner of reply ismore frequently heard from the 
younger men. The old man may tell you of the miseries in 
his body and limbs, with a precision which would do credit to 
a practitioner of medicine. 

There is an ease and grace about Virginia hospitality which 
cannot be imitated. It is acquired only as the infant acquires 
the use of its limbs — step by step — in long and patient prac- 
tice. It is devoid of the profuseness of " company manners," 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 119 

■«^hich wearies both guest and host. If one is accepted as a 
guest he is " at home " during the visit, v/hether it be with- 
in the log cabin in the Forest, or the colonial brick man- 
sion on the river's shore. 

The social life of these people prior to the Civil War wa3 
most agreeable. Among the wealthier classes, invitations to 
" come and dine with us " followed whenever an extra fat 
lamb was found among the flock, or when a goodly supply of 
wild birds, wild ducks or geese fell before the hunter's gun. 

The custom of " spending the day," which might mean a 
week or more, was of common occurrence amongst those of 
leisure. Well trained servants, and abundance of home raised 
food products lessened the burden of entertainment. 

Wlien ladies met and saluted each other in the usual form, 
they completed their greeting by an invitation to each other 
to " come and spend the day and bring your knitting." or an 
invitation to " a quilting " followed. Since the Civil War, 
knitting by hand is fast becoming one of the lost arts of the 
grandmothers. The quilting was one of the many friendly 
and social features of country life, in which young and old 
participated. A home-made quilt in which the neighbors 
joined to fashion was a work of art and patience combined. 
It was composed of scraps from wedding gowns, and other 
garments, cut into all manner of shapes and devices. Each 
scrap had its own history in connection with the wearer of 
the original garment from which it was cut. Some 
" patches " in the quilt were cut to represent hearts, birds, 
animals, and such devices as might suit the fancy of the 
worker. Monograms v/ere tastefully and artfully worked with 
silken threads, with the date added in which the work was 
done. From such a quilt could be built up a memory liistory 
of good neighbors and friends. The male members of the 
respective families attended the quilting in the evening in 
time to partake of the bounteous supper and the dance which 
followed. 



120 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Quiltings were continued until after the Civil War; they 
have now become a memory only of " old times in old Vir- 
ginia." 

In the salt water sections " oyster roasts " and " fish-f rys/' 
were amongst the social pleasures. These festivals were con- 
ducted upon the shores of some river where the oysters or 
fish were procured. Such entertainments were frequently 
conducted during political campaigns, or for church aid. 

The professors of voice culture throughout the nation 
should bring their pupils to this section to hear the human 
voice from the lips of a Tidewater Virginia lady. Virginians 
are remarkable for the modulated sweet tone of their voices. 
But nowhere in the United States is the human voice so 
charming to the ear as in the lower peninsulas. The women 
especially, have such an easy, graceful, and charming tone 
and flow of language as to be captivating. One would sur- 
mise that it would be an impossibility for such people to 
utter a harsh, violent scream under any provocation. Ex- 
cessively vulgar conversation, or viciously vulgar epithets, 
even when in angry moods are seldom uttered by any class of 
these people. 

There never was in Tidewater Virginia a class of people 
such as is known and classified — sometimes humorously, and 
often seriously — as " poor white trash." The " poor white 
trash " are supposed to be those persons who lived in certain 
isolated sections of the late slave holding States, remote from 
the improved and enlightened communities, and are said to 
be devoid of education and common information, crude in 
manner of address and means of living. 

There are no islolated sections in Tidewater Virginia, in the 
sense referred to here. The several counties are small, and 
narrow in breadth of territory, and therefore few homes can 
be located far from the regular routes of travel, or from the 
villages where the respective seats of justice are located. 

The frequent and genteel intercourse of these people with 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER TEOPLE 121 

one another at all public festivities, political speakings, reli- 
gious services, etc., keep bright and smooth the otherwise dull 
and rough edges of human nature, which are said to be the 
outgrowth of absolute isolation and seclusion. 

There is little envy or jealousy between the classes of rich 
and poor. They mingle on an equality during all public 
occasions. The " Golden Calf " was not originated, neither 
is he " tethered " in Tidewater Virginia. The individual is 
respected because of his good qualities, and not because of his 
worldly possessions. The learned judge of a Court carries 
his head no higher— in distain of his less favored fellow 
man— than does the " Forester," who can neither read nor 
write his name, but is a decent citizen. Neither of them 
have disdain for their fellow man unless the individual for- 
feits his self respect through his own seeking. 

Wealth is a comparative term which changes with the years 
of prosperity and adversity. 

Before the emancipation of the negro, persons in that sec- 
tion who had several hundreds of acres of land and servants 
to work it, were classed as rich and independent, though the 
total values of all their possessions were less than the sum of 
fifty thousand dollars. Following in the order of property 
values were, " the well to do," " the fairly well to do," and 
"the tolerably well to do." Beyond these grades of riches 
were many whose whole possessions would value less than one 
thousand dollars; nevertheless, such persons were enabled to 
live upon and reap many more comforts from these meagre 
possessions than could be had elsewhere for many added hun- 
dreds per cent, greater values of property. 

The Tidewater Virginia farmer who is out of debt, and 
possesses one or two hundred acres of " tolerably good land," 
convenient to a salt water stream, of which he can add the 
products to his table, is more independent of the world than 
the city dweller who is possessed of countless thousands of 



123 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

wealth in stocks or bonds, liable to become " dead sea fruit " 
upon his hands. 

The rich and the well to do persons usually sent their chil- 
dren from home to be educated at such institutions as the 
University of Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute, 
William and Mary College, and to the many other colleges and 
prominent academies which were established in the State in 
the 19th Century. "W^ien the students completed their educa- 
tion, they returned to their homes, some to enter the pref ession 
of law, or medicine, or to engage in pursuits other than labors 
which tended to harden and make callous their fingers and 
palms. The white man of Tidewater Virginia, if possible to 
prevent, did not often endanger his health by hard, manual 
labor, neither did his servant, the negro, " befo' de wah." 

The young men of the present generation resident in Tide- 
water do more manual work than did the "cavaliers of the 
olden time;" and will grasp a plow handle, or other imple- 
ment of honest toil which gives assurance of prosperity. 
Many of them are successfully conducting extensive fisheries 
for fertilizer of the soil, and others are engaged in the can- 
ning of oysters, fruits, and other commodities that had no 
market value there prior to the Civil War because of the 
absence of transportation facilities to reach a market. 

Tidewater Virginia people are conservative to the verge of 
stubbornness. They must have time for full deliberation be- 
fore they act. They "feel the jerk on the fish hook," and 
determine whether it be a " bite," or " a nibble " before pull- 
ing it up. 

The many fishery and canning and lumber industries, and 
other industries which originated since the Civil War were 
introduced, encouraged and successfully maintained by non- 
natives long before the Tidewater people could be induced to 
make investments therein. 

The conservatism of these people was inherited from their 
forefathers. The early colonist preferred the independent 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 123 

life upon his own lands and waters to that of any other occu- 
pation, and refused to encourage, or engage in trading, or 
manufacturing, or in the building up of towns within his 
section. 

In 1680, the assembly passed an act to encourage the build- 
ing of towns, and offered inducements to mechanics and 
others to settle in them. 

"An act for cohabitation ana encouragement of trade and 
manufacture. 

" This present general assembly haveing taken into their 
serious consideration the greate necessity, usefulnesse and 
advantages of cohabitation in his Majesties country of Vir- 
ginia, and observing and foreseeing the greate extremeties his 
Majesties subjects here must necessarily fall under by the 
present and continued loweness of the price of tobacco ; the 
only commodity and manufacture of this country (if the 
same be not by all prudential meanes and wayes prevented) 
and considering that the building of store houses for the re- 
ception of all merchandizes imported and receiving, secure- 
ing and laying ready all tobaccos for exportation and for sale 
and disposall of all goods, merchandizes and tobaccoes im- 
ported and exported into or from this his Majesties colony of 
Virginia will be one greate means for advancement thereof, 
doe pray your majestic that it may be enacted, and be it 
enacted by the king's most excellent majestic by and with the 
consent of the general assembly, and it is hereby enacted by 
the authority aforesaid that there be within two months next, 
and immediately after the publication hereof in every re- 
spective county within this his majesties colony 50 acres of 
land purchased by the ffeoffoes of the several counties at the 
rates hereafter sett downe and measured about, layd out and 
appointed for a towne for store houses &c. for such county as 
is hereafter sett downe and expressed, that is to say: 
" In Henrico county at Varina where the court house ia. 



124 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

" In Charles Citty county at Fflower de hundred over 
against Sv/iniares (Swinyards). 

" In Surry county att Smith's Ffort. 

" In James Citty county at James Citty. 

" In Isle of Wight county at Pates Ffield att the parting 
of Pagans Creeke. 

" In Nansemond county att Coll Dues point also Huffs 
point. 

" In Warwick county att the mouth of Deep Creek on Mr, 
Mathews land. 

" In Elizabeth county on the west side of Hampton Eiver 
on Mr. Thos. Jarvis his plantation where he now lives. 

" In Lower Norfolk county on Nicholas Wise his land on 
the Capital Eastern Branch on Elizabeth Eiver at the en- 
trance on the Branch." Now a part of Norfolk City. 

" In Yorke County on Mr. Eeeds land where the Ship 
Honors store was including the low beach for land, wharves, 
&c., and the old field where Webber dwelt for cohabitation. 

" In New Kent county att the Brick house along the high 
land from marsh to marsh." This is now known as Brick 
House landing — a plantation. 

" In Gloster county at Tindalls point on Tindalls creek 
side on John Williams land." Now known as Gloucester 
Point. 

" In Middlesex county on the west side of Ealph Worme- 
leys Creek against the plantation where he now lives." Now 
known as Urbanna. 

" In Eappahannock county att Hobses Hole." Now known 
as Tappahannock, Essex County. 

" In Stafford county att Pease Point at the mouth of Aquia 
on the north side. 

" In Westmoreland county att Nominie on the land of Mr. 
Hardwicke. 

" In Accomack county att Colverts Necke on the northwest 
side att the head of an Anchor Creeke." (Onancock Creek). 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 125 

This is now known as the town of Onancock, which in 1900 
had a population of 938. 

" In Northampton county at the north side of Kings creeke 
beginning at the mouth and so along the creeke which divides 
Mr. Chewnings and the court-house. 

"In Northumberland county, Chickacony," Cone Eiver 
Landing, now containing one store, and canning establish- 
ment. 

" The price to be paid by each county for each respective 
50 acres shal be tenn thousand pounds and caske, which 
summe the owner or owners thereof shal be and are hereby 
constrained to accept take and receive as a full and valuable 
price and consideration for the said land forever, and for 
which he shall acknowledge and pass an authentique deed in 
law to such person x x x as shall be nominated by the justices 
of the county court as ffeoffoes in trust to and for the use of 
the county. Such person x x x whatsoever as will build a 
dwelling house and ware house thereupon x x shall have 
assigned him x x by deed % acres of the said land in fee sim- 
ple, he to pay to the county 100 pounds of tobacco and caske 
and building such dwelling house and ware house thereupon 
as by this act is enjoyned. All tobacco whatsoever which shall 
be made within his majesties colony from and after the first 
day of Jany. next (1681) ensueing, and alsoe other goods and 
merchandizes whatsoever of the growth of this colony to be ex- 
ported shal be brought to the aforesaid appointed places where 
all such tobaccoes and all other goods and merchandizes what- 
soever of the growth and production of this colony are to be 
brought, sould, shipped and freighted, and whosoever shall pre- 
sume to buy, sell, freight or ship of any tobaccoe or other 
goods or merchandizes aforesaid next after the tyme aforesaid, 
before the same is brought to such appointed places upon due 
proofs thereof made shall forfeit and loose all such tobaccoes 
or other merchandizes whatsoever. All goods imported, ser- 



126 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

vants negroes and other slaves &c to be landed at the town 
only. 

" Mechanics, tradesmen and labourers who shall inliabit the 
towns, be wholly freed from any arrest of their persons or 
seize of their estates for such debts as were formerly con- 
tracted, and for and during the tyme of ffive years to come 
next after the publication of this law. That all such trades- 
men and labourers cohabiting in the places aforesaid and not 
planting tending or makeing tobacco, shal be freed and 
acquitt from paying any publique larges during the terms of 
ffive years from the publication of this act." 

Notwithstanding all these inducements to build, and 
penalties for shipping their products or importing their 
goods elsewhere than at these " towns," the people refused to 
aid in "building up towns for the benefit of such idlers as 
might congregate there." 

Many of the planters destroj'^ed their tobacco in preference 
to being compelled to ship it from these places. 

There are steamboat landings at several of the localities 
herein named, but the writer does not know of any towns now 
existing in any of the places specified in the act, excepting 
Norfolk, Urbanna, Tappahannock, and Onancock, as herein- 
before noted. 

There were towns built up by the tobacco trade in locali- 
ties not mentioned in this act. Yorktown was one of these 
places. Its early history shows that it was the chief port for 
the entire trade of Virginia and was during that period a busy 
scene of commerce and wealth. In the year 1900, it con- 
tained but 151 inhabitants. Hanovertown, on the Pamunkey 
River was built by the tobacco trade before Richmond was 
laid out, and about the date of the Revolutionary War v/as 
a place of more importance ; it needed but one or two votes in 
the General Assembly of being chosen as the Capital of Vir- 
ginia. Its site is now a ploughed field. 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TIDEWATER PEOPLE 127 

Leedstown in Westmoreland County, on the Eappahaxmock 
Eiver was founded in the same year with Philadelphia, Pa., 
(1681) and in its beginning was far more prosperous. Its 
warehouses were better filled and its intercourse with Eng- 
land was greater and more profitable than that of Philadel- 
phia. It is now a wharf on the Eappahannock Eiver. It is 
not populated sufficiently to make it even a voting precinct. 

When Tidewater Virginians become convinced that a chang3 
is needed, and the same is once made, they are equally deter- 
mined in maintaining their new position. 

Every Tidewater Virginian is intensely proud of his native 
State, whether he was born in a log cabin there and quenched 
his youthful thirst at the " sweep pole well '' from the 
" drinking gourd " which got its first training in the 
" gyarden truck patch," or whether he was born in a " colo- 
nial brick mansion," where the sideboard is graced by the 
silver " stirrup cup " a treasured heirloom to him through 
a long line of noble English ancestry. Because of this pride, 
he will " stick by old Virginia," and " never tire." 

"Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, 

Who never to himself hath said, 
'This is my own — my Native Land!' 

Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned 

As home his footsteps he hath turned 

From wand'ring on a foreign strand? 

If SL.ch there breathe, go — mark him well: 

For him no minstral raptures swell; 

High though his titles, proud his name. 

Boundless his wealth as wish can claim — 

Despite those titles, power and pelf, 

The wretch, concentrated all in self. 

Living, shall forfeit fair renown; 

And, doubly dying, shall go down 

To the vile dust from whence he sprmig, 

Unwept, unhonored, and unsung." 



CHAPTEE XIII. 
The Commonwealth of Virginia, 1776 — 1860. 



In the first seventy-five years of the eigliteenth century, 
Virginia's population trebled. It went from the head of 
Tidewater, through the Piedmont, across the Blue Eidge into 
the Great Valley and finally across the Allegheny mountains, 
even to the borders of the Ohio Eiver. 

England had in her first American daughter, a great com- 
monwealth which would have been to her a source of incal- 
culable benefit had she known how to handle her own children 
iu the new world. Unfortunately, she was unwilling to give 
to them in America the same rights and privileges that they 
would have enjoyed had they resided in England. She pro- 
posed, after the French and Indian War, in which Virginia 
Imd taken so active a part under Washington at Fort 
Duquesne, and in which Virginia thus showed her entire loy- 
alty to England, to tax the American colonies for the support 
of English troops on American soil. In 1765, the English 
Parliament passed the Stamp Act, from which sprang the 
serious trouble in American colonies. It raised the ire of the 
liberty-loving Virginians who were led by Patrick Henry in 
the House of Burgesses in 1765, to adopt the famous Stamp 
Act resolutions which declared that the right to tax the colony 
of Virginia lay in the General Assembly of the colony, and in 
no other power. When the Stamp Act was repealed, and the 
tea tax imposed, Virginia again adopted a series of famous 
resolves. The Assembly was dissolved for this action that 
was regarded as treasonable. The members of the House of 
Burgesses, among them George Washington, immediately 
assembled in the famous Ealeigh Tavern, at Williamsburg, 

[128] 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 139 

EDd entered into a non-importation agreement, by which they 
bound themselves not to buy any tea from England as long 
as the tax was imposed. One measure after another followed. 
The Virginians smypathized with the people of Boston when 
their harbor was closed. They became distrustful of their 
governor. Lord Dumnore. They, therefore, accepted the in- 
vitation of Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress in 
1774. The colony had already appointed a committee of cor- 
respondence to correspond with all of the colonies on the con- 
ditions prevailing in them. Her son, Peyton Eandolph, was 
president of the first Continental Congress; her Jefferson 
presented to that Congress a famous paper known as the sum- 
mary view of the rights of British America ; and her Henry in 
that Congress declared " British oppression has effaced the 
boundaries of the several colonies, the distinctions between 
Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Eng- 
landers are no more. I am not a Virginian but an Amer- 
ican." In the meanwhile matters were reaching a crisis in 
Virginia. Lord Dumnore marched with a force to the West 
to meet the Indians, but instead of joining General Andrew 
Lewis, left that pioneer to fight alone with Cornstalk and his 
warriors at Point Pleasant. It was generally thought that 
Dunmore did this with the hope that the Virginia army 
might be destroyed. Then it was that the Virginians called 
a convention, and in March, 1775, in Old St. John's Church 
in Richmond, Patrick Henry made his famous speech, asking 
that troops be raised to defend Virginia against British 
oppression. Hardly had a force been raised before word came 
from New England of the battle of Lexington and Concord. 
In the meantime. Lord Dunmore seized the gun-powder that 
was stored in the poM^der magazine at Williamsburg; where- 
upon Virginian troops marched against him ; and forced him 
to pay for the gun powder. Thereupon the governor fled 
from Williamsburg, and open war was begun between the 
colony of Virginia and its royal governor. In the meantime. 



l30 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

the second Continental Congress (1775) had met in Phila- 
delphia, and Washington had heen elected as commander-in- 
chief of the American army. 

Dunmore seized Norfolk, and was driven out by Colonel 
William Woodford. He then retired to Gwynn's Island, off 
the coast of Matthews county, from which he was finally 
driven, in July, 1776. While war was raging, great events 
had taken place at Williamsburg. The famous convention of 
1776 had met, of which Edmund Pendleton was president. 
Resolutions had been adopted, instructing the delegates in the 
Continental Congress to declare the colonies free and inde- 
pendent. Virginia then proceeded to adopt the famous Bill 
of Eights drawn by George Mason, which set forth that all 
men are equally free and independent. On the 29th of June, 
she adopted her first constitution, five days before Jefferson's 
famous Declaration of Independence was adopted by the 
Continental Congress. On the 30th of June, the Convention 
elected the first governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 
and for this position, in the trying times of the rebellion 
against the Mother Country, Henry was selected. For five 
years A'irginia occupied a prominent place in the councils of 
the united colonies and on the battle-field, and it was on her 
soil that the final great struggle — the battle of Yorktown — 
took place. 

The history of Virginia from 1776 to 1860 deals chiefly 
with matters relating to home development and the relation 
of the State to the Federal government. Following the 
adoption of her constitution, under the direction of Jefferson, 
the General Assembly of Virginia dis-established the church 
and declared for religious freedom. It abolished the primo- 
geniture and entail system, by which lands were held in the 
family and handed down from the father to the oldest sor 

From 1780 to 1850 a struggle was made for the extension 
of suffrage. Under the constitution of 1776 a relic of colo- 
nial government, no man could vote who did not possess as 




County Street, Yorktown, Va. , the Principal Street of the Town. 




Custom House at Yorktown, Va. , built 1706. 

Now owned by Dr. D. M. Norton, a colored physician. The oldest Custom House in the U. S. 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 131 

much as twenty-five acres of land with a liouse on it, or fifty 
acres of unimproved land. After a long struggle, suffrage 
was extended in 1830 to certain lease-holders and house- 
holders, but not until the famous Eeforni Convention of 
1850-51 was every free white man allowed to vote. During 
the same period, there was a struggle for the equalization of 
representation in the General Assembly. The Western coun- 
ties of the State became more populous than the Eastern, but 
yet, under the system of representation, established by the 
Constitution of 1776, each county had two representatives, 
without regard to population: Loudon County, for example, 
in 1639, with forty-two times the white population of War- 
v/ick had only two representatives. This was especially ob- 
noxious to all the western part of the State, and it was with 
the hope of equalizing representation that the Convention of 
1829-30 was held. This convention did something towards 
improving the system of representation, but not to the satis- 
faction of the Western people. The result was that twenty 
years later, another convention was called, which made it 
possible for the western counties to be better represented in 
proportion to population. The people of the East, however, 
had more wealth, and they claimed that it was not just to 
base representation upon white population alone, but that the 
basis of taxation should likewise be considered. During this 
period, also, a striiggle was made for a change in local gov- 
ernment in the counties and towns. In 1776, the people of 
any county in Virginia were allowed to vote for no officer ex- 
cept their member of the General Assembly. All other 
officers were appointed by the governor. This system prac- 
tically remained in use until 1850, as the Convention of 
1839-30 made few changes, but the famous Eeform Conven- 
tion of 1850-51 gave to the people the right to elect the gov- 
ernor, and the judges and all local officers as well as members 
of the General Assembly. Thus, the voice of the people was 
to be taken on all official matters. During this v>^hole period, 



132 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

however, the people voted by the viva voce system, and secret 
ballot was never introduced into Virginia elections until after 
the Civil War. 

About 1800 a great fight arose in the State for internal 
improvements. A demand was made in the western part of 
the State for the building of turnpikes and for canals. East- 
ern Virginia did not clamor so much for internal improve- 
ments, as there were so many navigable streams in that sec- 
tion. For this reason, as much as anything else. Eastern Vir- 
ginians were unwilling to allow too much representation in 
the General Assembly to the people of the West, fearing that 
if the western part. of the State controlled the Assembly, it 
would vote away too freely the money in the treasury for in- 
ternal improvements. During this same period, some trouble 
arose with the slaves, and an insurrection arose in Southamp- 
ton known as the Nat Turner Insurrection. The result of it 
was that a movement set on foot for the abolition of slavery 
lacked only one vote of passing the Lower House of the Gen- 
eral Assembly of Virginia. 

The relation of the State to the Federal Government was 
also an important matter. As a rule, the Virginians claimed 
that no law could be passed by Congress unless the power to 
pass such law was specifically granted to Congress by the Con- 
stitution of the United States. The famous Virginia reso- 
lutions of 1798-99 declared the alien and sedition laws un- 
constitutional. Every step towards broadening the powers 
of the Federal Government was fought by the State of Vir- 
ginia. Her statesmen saw that eventually trouble would 
come over the question of how to construe the Constitution 
and how the Federal government might deal with the Slavery 
question. When the John Brown Insurrection occurred in 
1859, and the election of Lincoln as President in 1860, Vir- 
ginia did its utmost to preserve the Union. She cast her 
electoral vote for the Constitutional Union party, and after a 
number of Southern States had seceded, in the earlv nart of 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 133 

1861 she called for a Peace Commission to meet in Washing- 
ton, to try to bring about a reconciliation between the Union 
and the seceding states, and it was her son, ex-president John 
Tyler wlio presided over this conference. 

During this period, from 1776 to 1860 Virginia furnished 
the Union seven presidents — Washington, Jefferson, Madi- 
son, Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and 
Zachary Taylor. This is enough to give her the name of 
Mother of Statesmen. She likewise gave to the Union in the 
early part of this period a large territory from which six 
States have been carved — the Northwest territory which had 
been conquered for Virginia by George Eogers Clark, and 
Kentucky which in 1792, she voluntarily allowed to become a 
State in the Union. This entitles her to be calledthe Mother 
of States. The increase in her population was great, though 
not in proportion to some of the other States of the Union. 

During this period the following counties were organized: 

1. Henry, formed in 1776, from Pittsylvania, named after 
Patrick Henry. 

2. Monongalia, formed in 1776. 

3. Montgomery, formed in 1776, from Fincastle County, 
and named after General Montgomery. In this county is 
situated Blacksburg, the seat of the Virginia Polytechnic 
Institute. 

4. Ohio, formed in 1776, and named after the river. In 
this county is situated Wheeling. 

5. Washington, formed in 1776, from Fincastle County 
(now Botetourt). In this county is located Emory and 
Henry College. The settlers of this county had to fight with 
the Cherokee Indians in the South. To protect this country, 
even before it was made into a county, General Andrew Lewis 
led a force as far south as Knoxville, Tennessee. 

6. Fluvanna, formed in 1777 from Albemarle, and named 
after James river above the falls, which for a long time was 
called Fluvanna. 



134 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

7. Greenbrier^ formed in 1777, from Botetourt and Mont- 
gomery, and named for its principal stream. 

8. Powhatan, formed in 1777, from Cumberland and 
named after the old Indian chief. 

9. EocKBRiDGE, formed in 1778, from Augusta and Bote- 
tourt, and named after Natural Bridge, which is in the 
county. The county seat is Lexington, in which is located 
Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military In- 
stitute. In this locality, the chief settlers were Scotch-Irish. 
Howe sa)^s: 

They had no sooner found a home in the wilderness, than 
they betook themselves to clearing fields, building houses, and 
planting orchards, like men who felt themselves now settled, 
and were disposed to cultivate the ai'ts of civilized life. Few of 
them ever ran wild in the forests, or joined the bands of white 
hunters who formed the connecting link between the savage 
aborigines and the civilized tillers of the soil. They showed 
less disposition than the English colonists to engage in traffic 
and speculative enterprises. Without feeling dull or phlegmatic, 
they were sober and thoughtful, keeping their native energy of 
feeling under restraint, and therefore capable, when exigencies 
arose, of calling forth exertions as strenuous and as persevering 
as the occassion might demand. In their devotion to civil 
liberty, they differed not from the majority of their fellow- 
colonists. Their circumstances, in a new country planted by 
themselves, far remote from the metropolitan government, 
fostered and strengthened their ancestral spirit of freedom. AS 
Presbyterians, neither they nor their forefathers would submit 
to an ecclesiastical hierarchy; and their detestation of civil 
tyranny descended to them from the convenanters of Scotland. 
Hence, in the dispute between the colonists and the mother 
country, the Presbyterians of the valley — indeed of the whole 
country — were almost unanimously Whigs of the firmest and 
most unconquerable spirit. They were among the bravest and 
most effective militia, when called into the field. General 
Washington signified his opinion of them when, in the darkest 
day of the revolutionary struggle, he expressed his confidence. 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 135 

that if all other resources should fail, he might yet repair with 
a single standard to West Augusta, and there rally a band of 
patriots who would meet the enemy at the Blue Ridge, and there 
establish the boundary of a free empire in the west. This say- 
ing of the father of his country has been variously reported; but 
we have no reason to doubt that he did, in some form, declare 
his belief that, in the last resort, he could yet gather a force in 
western Virginia which the victorious armies of Britian could 
not subdue. The spirit of these sires still reigns in their 
descendents, as the day of trial, come when it may, will prove. 

10. EocKiNGHAM, formed in 1778, from Augusta, named 
after Rockingham, in England. This part of the valley was 
settled chiefly by Germans from Pennsylvania. Of their 
home life Kercheval says : 

The first houses erected by the primitive settlers were log- 
cabins, with covers of split clap-boards, and weight poles to 
keep them In place. They were frequently seen with earthen 
floors; or if wooden floors were used, they were made of 
split puncheons, a little smoothed with the broadaxe. These 
houses were pretty generally in use since the author's recollec- 
tion. There were, however, a few framed and stone buildings 
erected previous to the war of the revolution. As the country 
Improved in population and wealth, there was a corresponding 
Improvement in the erection of buildings. 

When this improvement commenced, the most general mode 
of building was with hewn logs, a shingle roof, and plank floor, 
the plank cut out with the whip-saw. Before the erection of 
saw-mills, all the plank used in the construction of houses was 
worked out in this way. As it is probable some of my young 
readers have never seen a whip-saw, a short description of it 
may not be uninteresting. It was about the length of the com- 
mon mill-saw with a handle at each end transversely fixed to it. 
The timber intended to be sawed was first squared with the 
broadaxe, and then raised on a scaffold six or seven feet high. 
Two able-bodied men then took hold of the saw, one standing 
on the top of the log and the other under it, and commenced 
sawing. The labor was excessively fatiguing, and about one 
hundred feet of plank or scantling was considered a good day's 
work for the two hands. 

The introduction of saw-mills, however, soon superceded the 



136 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

use of the whip-saw, but they were not entirely laid aside until 
several years after the war of the revolution. 

The dress of the early settlers was of the plainest materials — 
generally of their own manufacture; and if a modern "belle" or 
" beau " were now to witness the extreme plainness and sim- 
plicity of their fashions, the one would be almost thrown into a 
fit of the hysterics, and the other frightened at the odd and gro*- 
tesque appearance of their progenitors. Previous to the war 
of the revolution, the married men generally shaved their heads, 
and either wore wigs or white linen caps. When the war com- 
menced, this fashion was laid aside, partly from patinotic con- 
siderations and partly from necessity. Owing to the entire 
interruption of the intercourse with England, wigs could not 
easily be obtained, nor white linen for caps. The men's coats 
were generally made with broad backs, and straight short skirts, 
with pockets on the outside having large flaps. The breeches 
were so short as barely to reach the knee, with a band surround- 
ing the knee, fastened with either brass or silver buckles. The 
stocking was drawn up under the knee-band, and tied with a 
garter (generally red or blue) below the knee, so as to be seen. 
The shoes were of coarse leather, with straps to the quarters, 
and fastened with either brass or silver buckles. The hat was 
either of wool or fur, with a round crown not exceeding three 
or four inches high, with a broad brim. The dress for the neck 
was usually a narrow collar to the skirt, with a white linen 
stock drawn together at the ends, on the back of the neck, with 
a broad metal buckle. The more wealthy and fashionable were 
sometimes seen with their stock, knee and shoe buckles, set 
either in gold or silver with brilliant stones. The author can 
recollect, when a child, if he happened to see any of those finely 
dressed " great folk " as they were then termed, he felt awed 
in their presence, and viewed them as something more than 
man. The female dress was generally the short gown and petti- 
coat, made of the plainest material. The German women mostly 
wore tight calico caps on their heads, and in the summer season 
they were generally seen with no other clothing than a linen 
shift and petticoat — the feet, hands and arms bare. In hay and 
harvest time they joined the men in the labor of the meadow 
and grain fields. This custom of the females laboring in the 
time of harvest, was not exclusively a German practice, but was 
common to all the northern people. Many females were most 
expert mowers and reapers. Within the author's recollection, 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 137 

he has seen several female reapers who were equal to the stout- 
est males in the harvest-field. It was no uncommon thing to see 
the female part of the family at the hoe or the plow; and some 
of our now wealthiest citizens frequently boast of their grand- 
mothers, ay, mothers too, performing this kind of heavy labor. 
The natural result of this kind of rural life was to produce a 
hardy and vigorous race of people. It was this race of people 
who had to meet and breast the various Indian wars, and the 
storms of the revolution. 

The Dutchman's barn was usually the best building on his 
farm. He was sure to erect a fine large barn before he built 
any other dwelling-house than his rude log-cabin. There were 
none of our primitive immigrants more uniform in the form of 
their buildings than the Germans. Their dwelling-houses were 
seldom raised more than a single story in height, with a large 
cellar beneath; the chimney in the middle, with a very wide 
fireplace in one end for the kitchen; in the other end a stove- 
room. Their furniture was of the simplest and plainest kind; 
and there was always a long pine table fixed in one corner of 
the stove-room, with permanent benches on one side. On the 
upper floor, garners for holding grain were very common. Their 
beds were generally filled with straw or chaff, with a fine feather- 
bed for covering in the winter. The author has several times 
slept in this kind of bed; and to a person unaccustomed to it, 
it is attended not unfrequently with danger to the health. The 
thick covering of the feathers is pretty certain to produce a 
profuse perspiration, which an exposure to cold, on rising in the 
morning, is apt to check suddenly, causing chilliness and obsti- 
nate cough. The author, a few years ago, caught in this way 
the most severe cold, which followed by a long and distressing 
cough, he ever was afflicted with. 

Many of the Germans have what they call a drum, through 
which the stove pipe passes in their upper rooms. It is made 
of sheet iron, something in the shape of the military drum. It 
soon fills with heat from the pipe, by which the rooms become 
agreeably warm in the coldest weather. A piazza is a very 
common appendage to a Dutchman's dwelling house, in which 
his saddles, bridles, and very frequently his wagon or plough 
harness, are hung up. The Germans erect stables for their 
domestic animals of every species; even their swine are housed 
in the winter season. Their barns and stables are well stored 
with provender, particularly fine hay, hence their quadrupeds of 



138 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

all kinds are kept throughout the year in the finest possible 
order. The practice of housing stock in the winter season is 
unquestionably great economy in husbandry. Much less food 
is required to sustain them, and the animals come out in the 
spring in fine health and condition. It is a rare occurrence to 
hear of a Dutchman's losing any part of his stock with poverty. 
The practice of housing stock in the winter is not exclusively 
a German custom, but is common to most of the nothern people, 
and those descended from immigrants from the North. The 
author recollects once seeing the cow-stalls adjoining a farmer's 
dwelling. 

11. Campbell^ formed in 1784, from Bedford and named 
in honor of General William Campbell, an officer of the revo- 
lution. In this county is situated Lynchburg, named after 
a member of the Lynch family, which has been perpetuated 
in the well-known Lynch Law. Howe says : 

Colonel Charles Lynch, a brother of the founder of Lynchburg, 
was an officer of the American revolution. His residence was 
on the Staunton, in the southwest part of this county, now the 
seat of his grandson, Charles Henry Lynch, Esq. At that time, 
this country was very thinly settled, and infested by a lawless 
band of tories and desperadoes. The necessity of the case 
involved desperate measures, and Colonel Lynch, then a leading 
Whig, apprehended and had them punished without any super- 
flous legal ceremony. Hence the origin of the term " Lynch 
Law." The practice of lynching continued three^ years after the 
war, and was applied to many cases of mere suspicion of guilt, 
which could not be regularly proven. 

It was at old Campbell Court-house that the celebrated 
case of John Hook was tried. According to Howe: 

Hook w^as a Scotchman, a man of wealth, and suspected of 
being unfriendly to the American cause. During the distresses 
of the American army, consequent on the joint invasion of 
Cornwallis and Phillips in 1781, a Mr. Venable, an army com- 
missary, had taken two of Hook's steers for the use of the troops. 
The act had not been strictly legal; and on the establishment 
of peace. Hook, on the advice of Mr. Cowan, a gentleman of 
some distinction in the law, thought proper to bring an action 
of trespass against Mr. Venable, in the District court of New 



THE COMMONWEALTH OP VIRGINIA 139 

London. Mr. Henry appeared for the defendant, and is said 
to have deported himself in this cause to the infinite enjoyment 
of his hearers, the unfortunate Hook always excepted. After 
Mr. Henry became animated in the cause, says a correspondent, 
he appeared to have complete control over the passions of his 
audience; at one time, he excited their indignation against Hook; 
vengeance was visible in every countenance; again, when he 
chose to relax, and ridicule him, the whole audience was In 
a roar of laughter. He painted the distresses of the American 
army, exposed almost naked to the rigor of a winter's sky, and 
marking the frozen ground over which they marched with the 
blood of their unshod feet; where was the man, hei said, who had 
an American heart in his bosom, who would not have thrown 
open his fields, his barns, his cellars, the doors of his house, the 
portals of his breast, to have received with open arms, the 
meanest soldier in that little band of famished partiots? Where 
is the man? There he stands — but whether the heart of an 
American beats in his bosom, you, gentlemen, are to judge. 
He then carried the jury, by the powers of his Imagination, to 
the plains around Yorktown, the surrender of which had followed 
shortly after the act complained of: he depicted the surrender 
in the most glowing and noble colors of his eloquence — the 
audience saw before their eyes the humiliation and dejection 
of the British, as they marched out of their trenches — they saw 
the triumph which lighted up every patriotic face, and heard the 
shouts of victory, and the cry of Washington and liberty, as it 
rung and echoed through the American ranks, and was reverbe- 
rated from the hills and shores of the neighboring river — " but 
hark! what notes of discord are these which disturb the general 
joy, and silence the acclamations of victory — they are the notes 
of John Hook, hoarsely bawling through the American camp, 
beef! beef! beef! " The whole audience were convulsed: a 
particular incident will give a better idea of the effect, than any 
general description. The clerk of the court, unable to command 
himself and unv/illing to commit any breach of decorum in his 
place, rushed out of the court-house, and threw himself on the 
grass, in the most violent paroxysm of laughter, where he was 
rolling, when Hook, with very different feelings, came out for 
relief into the yard, also. " Jemmy Steptoe," he said to the 
clerk, "what the devil ails ye, mon?" Mr. Steptoe was only 
able to say, that he could not help it. " Never mind ye," said 
Hook, "wait till Billy Cov^^au gets up: he'll shov/ him the la'." 



140 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Mr. Cowan, however, was so completely overwhelmed by the 
torrent which bore upon his client, that when he rose to reply to 
Mr. Henry, he was scarcely able to make an intelligible or audible 
remark. The cause was decided almost by acclamation. The 
jury retired for form sake, and instantly returned with a verdict 
for the defendant. Nor did the effect of Mr. Henry's speech 
stop there. The people were so highly excited by the tory 
audacity of such a suit, that Hook began to hear around him a 
cry more terrible than that of beef; it was the cry of tar and 
feathers; from the application of which, it is said, that nothing 
saved him but a precipitate flight and the speed of his horse. 

12. Feanklin, formed in 1784, from Bedford and Henry, 
and named after Benjamin Franklin. 

13. Gkeenesville, formed in 1784, from Brunswick. 

14. Harrison, formed in 1784, from Monongalia, named 
after Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Virginia. 

15. Hardy, formed in 1786, from Hampshire, named after 
Samuel Hardy. 

16. EussELL, formed in 1786, from Washington County, 
named after General William Eussell. 

17. Randolph, formed in 1787, from Harrison, and 
named after Edmund Randolph. 

18. Nottoway, formed in 1788, from Amelia, and named 
after the ISTottoway tribe of Indians. 

19. Pendleton, formed in 1788, from Augusta, Hardy and 
Rockingham, and named from Edmund Pendleton. 

20. Kanawha, formed in 1789, from Greenbrier and 
Montgomery. 

21. Matthews, formed in 1790, from Gloucester, named 
in honor of a Virginia revolutionary officer, afterwards gov- 
ernor of Georgia. 

22. Wythe, formed in 1790, from Montgomery, and 
named after George Wythe. 

23. Bath, formed in 1791, from Augusta, Botetourt and 
Greenbrier. In this county are located the Warm Springs 
and Hot Springs. This county was the home of General 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 141 

Samuel Blackburn, one of the most famous orators and crim- 
inal lawyers of his time in Virginia. Of him Howe wrote : 

He was the father of the anti-duelling law of the state, which 
we believe was the first passed in the country after the war of 
the revolution. Among other penalties, it prohibited anyone 
who had been engaged in a duel from holding oflBces of trust 
In the gift of the state. Some years after, a gentleman who had 
challenged another, was elected to the legislature. When he 
came forward to take the customary oath, his violation of this 
law was urged against him. Some, however, contended that the 
circumstances of the case were so aggravating that its pro- 
visions ought to be disregarded, and fears were entertained 
that this sentiment might prevail. Then it was that General 
Blackburn, who was a member, came forward with a speech of 
great power in opposition. The result was the triumph of the 
law in the rejection of the member. 

34. Patrick, formed in 1791, from Henry, and named 
after Patrick Henry. 

25. Lee, formed in 1792, from Eussell, named after Henry 
Lee, governor of Virginia. The following account of a duel 
reported in a newspaper of the year 1823 is given by Howe : 

A remarkable duel took place in Lee County, on Sunday, 
December 7th, which has been the subject of much conversa- 
tion here Two negro men, belonging to two gentle- 
men, had been bitten by the charms of a sable beauty, and 
neither being willing to yield to the other, they determined, 
like gentlemen, to decide their pretentions by a duel. The ar- 
rangement was accordingly made, and they met in a distant 
and retired wood, unattended by seconds, and without the 
knowledge of any other person — each armed with a trusty rifle. 
Their proceedings appear to have been conducted with a strict 
honor, the more remarkable in such case as it was exhibited by 
slaves. The ground was measured off about fifteen paces; the 
antagonists took their posts; the word was given by one of 
them, and both instantly fell — one shot through the heart, and 
the other through the right breast. The former expired im- 
mediately; the latter, with great difficulty and pain, crawled to 
a small path not far from the scene of combat; but unable to 
go further, he remained by it, in the hope that someone would 



142 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

pass and find him. He lay there, under all the suffering -which 
his wound and exposure inflicted, until the following Tuesday, 
before he was found. Depressed and debased as that unfortunate 
race is, there are occasional instances in which they exhibit 
traits of character which elevate them above the sphere to 
which our policy compels us to confine them. The strict ob- 
servance of honorable conduct, and the cool determined courage 
of these negroes, afford an example which ought to make some 
gentlemen of high condition blush. 

26. Madison, formed in 1792, from Culpeper, named after 
President Madison. 

27. Grayson, formed in 1793, from Wythe, and named 
after William Grayson, a member of the Virginia Convention 
that ratified the Federal constitution. 

28. Charlotte, formed in 1794, from Lunenburg, named 
after Princess Charlotte. Charlotte was the residence of 
Patrick Henry in his latter days, of John Eandolph of 
Roanoke, and of Judge Paul Carrington. Henry lived at Red 
Hill and John Randolph at Roanoke. 

29. Brooke, formed in 1797, from Ohio county. It lies in 
the " panhandle " of what is now West Virginia. It was in 
this county that the Rev. Dr. Alexander Campbell established 
Bethany College under the direction of the Disciples of 
Christ. It was the home of Philip Doddridge, who was the 
leader of the western element of the Convention of 1829-30. 

30. Monroe, formed in 1799, from Greenbrier, and named 
after President Monroe. 

31. Tazewell, formed in 1799, from Russell and Wythe, 
and named after Senator Henry Tazewell. 

32. Wood, formed in 1799, from Harrison, and named 
after Governor James Wood, of Virginia. 

33. Jefferson, formed in 1801, from Berkeley, and 
named after Thomas Jefferson. . In this county is situated 
Harper's Ferry, the scene of John Brown's raid. In this 
county was also the home of Rumsey, the inventor of the first 
steam-boat. 



IHE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 143 

34. Mason, formed m 1804, from Kanawha, and named 
after George Mason. In this county is situated Point Pleas- 
ant, famous for the battle with the Indians under Cornstalk. 

35. Giles, formed in 1806, from Monroe and Tazewell, and 
named after General William B. Giles. In this county is 
the celebrated Salt Pond. 

It is a natural beautiful lake of pure fresh water, on the 
summit of the Salt Pond mountain, one of the highest spurs of 
the Alleghany. This pond is about a mile long and one-third 
of a mile wide. At its termination it is dammed by a huge pile 
of rocks over which it runs, but which once passed through the 
fissures only. In the spring and summer of 1804, immense 
quantities of leaves and other rubbish washed in and fillfed up 
the fissures, since which it has risen full 25 feet. Previous to 
that time, it was fed by a fine, large spring at its head; then that 
disappeared, and several small springs now flow into it at its 
upper end. When first known, it was the resort of vast numbers 
of elk, buffalo, deer, and other wild animals, for drink; hence 
its name of salt pond. It has no taste of salt, and is inhabited 
by fine trout. 

36. Nelson, formed in 1807, from Amherst and named 
after Governor Thomas T^Telson. 

37. Scott, formed in 1814, from Lee, Washington and 
Russell, and named after General Winfield Scott. 

38. Tyler, formed in 1814, from Ohio, and named after 
John Tyler, Sr. 

3D. Lewis, formed in 1816, from Harrison, and named 
after Colonel Charles Lewis, 

40. ISTiCHOLAS, formed in 1818, from Kanawha, Greenbrier 
and Pandolph, and named after Governor Nicholas. 

41. Preston, formed in 1818, from Monongalia, and 
named for Governor James B. Preston, 

42. Morgan, formed in 1820, from Hampshire and Berke- 
ley, named after General Daniel ]\Iorgan. 

43. Pocahontas, formed in 1821, from Bath, Pendleton 
and Randolph, and named for the Indian princess. 



144 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

44. Alleghany, formed in 1822, from Bath, Botetourt 
and Monroe. The county is named for the mountains which 
traverse it. During the early part of the nineteenth century, 
this was a wild country, frequently traversed by Indians and 
outlaws. An interesting story is told of an eccentric female 
named Ann Bailey who lived in this locality. Howe says : 

She was born in Liverpool, and had been the wife of an 
English soldier. She generally went by the cognomen of Mad 
Ann. During the wars with the Indians, she very often acted 
as a messenger, and conveyed letters from the fort, at Covington, 
to Point Pleasant. On these occasions she was mounted on a 
favorite horse of great sagacity, and rode like a man, with a 
rifle over her shoulder and a tomahawk and a butcher's knife 
in her belt. At night she slept in the woods. Her custom was 
to let her horse go free, and then walk some distance back on 
his trail, to escape being discovered by the Indians. After the 
Indian wars, she spent some time in hunting. She pursued and 
shot deer and bears with the skill of a backwoodsman. She was 
a short, stout woman, very masculine and coarse in appearance, 
and seldom or never wore a gown, but usually had on a petti- 
coat, with a man's coat over it, and buck-skin breeches. The 
services she rendered in the wars with the Indians endeared 
her to the people. Mad Ann and her black pony Liverpool were 
always welcome at every house. Often she gathered the honest, 
simple-hearted mountaineers around and related her adventures 
and trials, while the sympathetic tear would course down their 
cheeks. She was profane, often became intoxicated, and could 
box with the skill of one of the fancy. Mad Ann possessed con- 
siderable intelligence, and could read and write. She died in 
Ohio, many years since. 

45. Logan, formed in 1824, from Giles, Kanawha, Cabell 
and Tazewell, and named after the Indian chief. 

46. Fayette, formed in 1831, from Logan, Greenbrier, 
Nicholas and Kanawha. 

47. Floyd, formed in 1831, from Montgomery, named 
after John Floyd, governor of Virginia. 

48. Page, formed in 1831, from Eockingham and Shenan- 
doah, and named after Governor John Page. In this county 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 145 

is situated the ~ celebrated Luray Cave, that attracts the 
admiration of visitors from all parts of the world. 

49. Rappahannock, formed in 1831, from Culpeper, and 
named after the river. 

50. Smyth, formed in 1831, from Washington and W3d;he, 
and named after General Alexander Smyth, an officer of tha 
War of 1812. 

51. Marshall, formed in 1835, from Ohio County, and 
named after Chief Justice Marshall. 

52. Beaston, formed in 1836, from Lewis, Kanawha and 
Nicholas, and named after Carter Braxton, one of the signers 
of the Declaration of Independence, from Virginia. 

53. Claeke, formed in 1836, from Frederick, and named 
after George Rogers Clark. In this county lived General 
Daniel Morgan, at " Soldiers' Rest " only a few miles from 
Berryville. Morgan subsequently built another, a beautiful 
seat, in this county, which he very appropriately named Sara- 
toga. It was erected by Hessians taken prisoners at Saratoga. 
According to Howe : 

About 200 yards from Soldiers' Rest stands an old log hut, 
which well authenticated tradition states was occupied by 
Washington while surveying land in this region for Lord Pair- 
fax. It is about twelve feet square, and is divided into two 
rooms; one in the upper, and the other in the lower story. 
The lower apartment was then, and Is now, used as a milk- 
room. A beautiful spring gushes up from the rocks by the house 
and flows in a clear, crystal stream, under the building, answer- 
ing admirably the purpose to which it is applied, in cooling 
this apartment. Many years since, both the spring and the 
building were protected from the heat of the summer's sun by 
a dense copse of trees. The upper, or attic room, which is 
about twelve feet square, was occupied by Washington as a place 
of deposite for his surveying instruments, and as a lodging — 
how long, though, is not known. The room was lathed and 
plastered. A window was at one end, and a door— up to which 
led a rough flight of steps— at the other. This rude hut Is, 
perhaps, the most interesting relic of that great and good man, 
Who became " first in the hearts of his countrymen." 
10 



146 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

In this county also was Greenway Court, the seat of Lord 
Fairfax. Howe says : 

His lordship lived and died in a single story and a half-house, 
which stood just in front of the modern brick dwelling of Mr. 
Kennerly, and was destroyed in 1834, There are now several 
of the original buildings standing at the place; among them is 
a small limestone structure, where quit-rents were given and 
titles drawn of his lordship's domains. Fairfax had, probably, 
150 negro servants, who lived in log huts scattered about in the 
woods. A few years since, in excavating the ground near the 
house, the servants of Mr. Kennerly discovered a large quantity 
of joes and half-joes amounting to about $250.00; they v/ere what 
Is termed cob-coin, of a square form, and dated about 1730. 
They wei'e supposed to have been secreted there by Lord Fair- 
fax. Under a shelving rock, nine feet from the surface, there 
was also found a human skeleton of gigantic statue; supposed 
to be that of an Indian. When Lord Dunmore went on his 
expedition against the Indians in 1774, he came on as far as 
this place with a portion of his troops, and waited here about 
a fortnight for reinforcements. His soldiers encamped in v/hat 
was then a grove — now a meadow — about three hundred yards 
north of Mr. Kennerly's present residence. The spot is indi- 
cated by a deep well, supposed to have been dug by them; an 
old magazine, destroyed in 1843, stood near the well. Washing- 
ton, when recruiting at Winchester, often visited this place. 
Lord Fairfax had but little cultivated ground around his prem- 
ises, and that was in small patches without taste or design. 
The land was left for a park, and he lived almost wholly from 
his rents. The following, as well as much of the foregoing, 
respecting him, is traditionary: His lordship was a dark, 
swarthy man, several inches over six feet in height, and of a 
gigantic frame and personal strength. He lived the life of a 
batehelor, and fared coarse, adopting in that respect the rough 
customs of the people among whom he was. When in the 
humour, he was generous — giving away whole farms to his 
tenants and simply demanding for rent some trifle — for instance, 
a present of a turkey for his Christmas dinner. 

54. Waeren, formed in 1836, from Frederick and Shenan- 
doah, and named after General Warren. 

55. Mercer, formed in 1837, from Giles and Tazewell, and 
named after General Hugh Mercer. 



THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 147 

56. Greene, formed in 1838, from the western part of 
Orange, and named after General Nathaniel Greene, 

57. EoANOKE, formed in 1838, from Botetourt. The 
name is probably derived from an Indian word, meaning shell- 
money. 

58. Pulaski, formed in 1839, from Montgomery and 
Wythe, and named after Count Pulaski, 

59. Carrol, formed in 1848, from Grayson, named after 
George Carrol, a member of the Legislature from Grayson. 

60. Marion, formed in 1843, from Harrison and Monon- 
galia, and named after General Francis Marion. 

61. Wayne, formed in 1842, from Cabell County, and 
named after General Anthony Wayne. 

62. Barbour, formed in 1843, from Harrison, Lewis and 
Randolph, and named after Philip and James Barbour. 

63. Ritchie, formed in 1843, from Harrison, Lewis and 
Wood, and named after the well-known editor, Thomas 
Ritchie. 

64. Taylor, formed in 1844, from Harrison, Barbour and 
Marion, and named after John Taylor, of Caroline. 

65. Alexandria, formed in 1846, from that part of the dis- 
trict of Columbia which was given by Virginia to the National 
Government, and afterwards returned to the State. 

66. Highland, formed in 1847, from Bath and Pendleton. 

67. Craig, formed in 1850, from Botetourt, Roanoke, and 
Giles. I 

68. Wise, formed in 1846, from Russell, Scott, and Lee. 

69. Buchanan, formed in 1858, from Russell and Taze- 
well. 

70. Bland, formed in 1860, from Wythe, Giles, and Taze- 
well. 

The preceding account of the formation of the counties of 
Virginia shows that the State was growing toward the west. 
Of the seventy counties herein named, twenty-nine are now a 
part of West Virginia. Virginia has to-day 100 counties. 



CHAPTER XIV 
The Negro Slave in Virginia. 



The want of laoor to help fell the forests, and to clear and 
cultivate fields for the needed harvests were perplexing and 
vital questions in the 17th century with the new colony. In- 
dented white men, boys, and girls were shipped from Eng- 
land for this purpose. This help was but temporary as the 
indented service was limited to a few years at most, and at its 
expiration this imported labor was given a certain number of 
acres of land for their own use, and thus they became masters, 
and would be hirers themselves, thereby adding to the per- 
plexity of the question which their original introduction into 
Virginia was intended to settle. 

The negro reached Virginia nearly as soon as the white 
man. In April, 1607, the first colony landed there, and in 
August, 1619, the negro followed. About two months before 
this first cargo of slaves reached Jamestown, the people of the 
colony were granted the right of suffrage, for the first time in 
the new world, through the election of a House of Burgesses. 
Thus did "the Fates decree," that while the white man in 
Virginia, was enjoying his first rights there as a freeman, the 
negro, as a slave, was offered him, and accepted as a God- 
send. Whether the introduction of slavery was a God-send 
to Virginia has long been a mooted question. 

This first cargo of negro slaves to reach Virginia was 
pirated from the Spanish West Indies by a " Dutch Man o* 
War," so called. It is stated that this " Man of War " was a 
pirate ship — a class of vessels common in those years — 
manned in part by Englishmen, and that Capt. Samuel 
Argall, Lieut.-Governor of Virginia from 1617 to 1619, was 

[148] 



THE NEGRO SLAVE IN VIRGINIA 149 

largely interested in this adventure of shipping slaves to Vir- 
ginia. 

At the period of the introduction of slavery into Virginia 
the colony was confined mainly to small settlements along the 
banks of the James Eiver. {The negro helped to fell the 
primeval forests to make way for fields of tobacco and golden 
headed grain. He hewed out the highways for his master's 
vehicle through the dense woods, and shared with him the 
dangers and privations of the early life in the wilderness, and 
accepted the ill luck, or the good luck which came to the 
pioneer, and was generally fairly treated in all things but his 
freedom. In fact his lot was frequently a happier one than 
that of many of the white indented servants in whom their 
masters had no pecuniary interest beyond the cost of their 
transportation to the colony. Very many of these were 
forced to harder tasks than befell the slave. 

Slavery, even of the white race, was in existence from the 
earliest days of history. " Joseph,'' whose coat of many 
colors excited the envy of his brethren, was sold by them to 
the traders who trafficked in human flesh, as well as in the 
other commodities demanded in that day. Later we read of 
the Egyptian taskmasters under whom the Israelites — the 
chosen people of God — worked at hard tasks, made the more 
severe by reason of the prejudice and jealousy of the task 
master against that race. Later history records the slavery 
of prisoners captured in the wars of all nations. In those 
ages color of the skin was no bar to slavery. 

Tidewater Virginia was virtually the slave's paradise. The 
largest farms, and consequently the largest owners of slaves 
were usually located in the river bottom lands, or convenient 
to the affluent streams which led into the larger navigable 
waters. As nearly all these streams were abundantly supplied 
with oysters, and fish of every variety, the thrifty were enabled 
to add to their allowance from " the store house of nature." 



150 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The early riser could have his fish for breakfast fresh from 
his own net. In the fall and winter, he might have wild 
fowl, and he could find small game in the dense timbered 
lands, v/hich afforded a dietary change as well as amusement. 
Added to these was the regular ration of meal and meat, and 
the products of a " garden patch " which all were allowed to 
cultivate for their own benefit. The farmers who were more 
remote from the navigable streams were the owners of smaller 
tracts of land, and fewer servants. The servants of these 
farmers generally fared quite as well as their owners, and in 
the absence of their masters were in full control of their busi- 
ness. In the writer's experience of more than twenty-five 
years' travel through the several counties of Tidewater Vir- 
ginia, he has never heard a complaint from the former slaves 
of ill treatment at the hands of their former owners. On the 
contrary all references to their former master and mistress 
were affectionate, and to their great credit. 
'-"The owners of slaves never referred to them other than as 
" servants." The master's residence was called by the 
negroes the " Great House," without regard to its size. The 
young " white folks " were always welcomed in their visits to 
the "negro quarters" and were especial favorites with the 
" Black Mammys," whom they were taught to respect and to 
give evidence of their appreciation of courtesies received at 
their hands. 

A " Black Mammy " was one of the servants reared within 
the " Great House," beginning service as a child, and servant 
to some one of the children of her owner. It was frequently 
the case that she was provided with a bed within the same 
room wherein slept her child mistress or master. 

There were no secrets of the family with which this de- 
scendant of Ham was not conversant, and few of those to 
whom these secrets were known kept them more inviolable. 
As she grew in years she was burdened with the care of the 
white children, often to the extent of nursing them from the 



THE NEGRO SLAVE IN VIRGINIA 151 

milk of her own breast. She loved her " lil ehillun " and 
they loved her, and why should they not love one another 
when their lives were thus so closely combined. 

The Black Mammy was fond of the recital of the tradi- 
tions of her owners and a zealous defender of their family 
honor. 

Slavery in Virginia differed greatly from that of the cotton 
States. In many instances in those States the owners had 
little or no intercourse or acquaintance with their slaves. 
They were in such instances managed and worked by overseers 
who lived upon the plantation, and had supreme control, and 
it depended upon the humanity of such overseers as to how 
the servants were treated. 

In Virginia the owner of less than half a dozen male ser- 
vants usually worked with them at their several tasks in the 
field, or forest, or in the rivers. Those who owned a greater 
number of servants, and themselves pursued some occupation, 
as county officer, or the profession of law, or medicine, or 
other business undertaking which occupied their time, usually 
hired an overseer, more as an aid than a supreme controller 
of their servants. In many instances the place of white over- 
seers was filled by a " head man," who was himself one of the 
servants. 

Those who had more servants than were needed frequently 
hired them out. In that event the servants were usually per- 
mitted to seek their employers. If a servant disliked his 
former employer, and made known his displeasure to his 
master, he was permitted to seek service elsewhere. It was 
difficult for any hirer of servants who had incurred their ill 
will to again hire one. " Hiring time " was usually during 
the Christmas holidays. All hired servants returned to their 
owner's homes during the Christmas holidays, where feasting, 
frolicking and dancing was the custom. The negro was a 
great f rolicker during slavery. Female servants often helped 



152 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

in the field at such labors as plowing corn, binding grain, 
pulling fodder and shucking corn. 

It was the custom of many negroes to wrap their hair in 
little knots with strings of various colors. This custom was 
more frequently followed by the young female servants; it 
was usually a Sunday job to " look the hair over/' and wrap 
it. This custom was based upon the belief that it would in- 
duce the hair to grow straight, and for this purpose they 
would stretch the lock until the scalp rose with it, and then 
wrap each lock of hair so tight, and cover it so thickly with 
cord that it stood aloft like the quills upon an angry porcu- 
pine, and lead one to wonder how the wearer could shut her 
eyes without jerking the hair from its scalp by the roots. 

The matrons of the homes were the angels of the house- 
holds in Old Virginia. They watched over all, nursed, ad- 
vised and comforted both black and white. The " Missus " 
was profoundly respected by the servants and worshipped by 
the white members of the family. Nowhere in the world 
were women shown more respect and courtesy than in Vir- 
ginia. Their soft, gentle voices and their easy, graceful, and 
courteous manners forbade that none other than the best of 
treatment should be accorded them. 

Because of the numerous servants subject to their call they 
were exempt from the menial duties of life. Their duty was 
to manage the household and cultivate their minds and man- 
ners. 

The negro of Virginia took his captivity lightly. He is by 
nature endowed with a happy disposition. His laugh is 
hearty, extending over his whole face, and is so surely con- 
tagious that it would crack the skin of a hypochondriac who 
dared to venture within its bounds. Like their masters they 
had no use for " an or'nary white man," and were apprecia- 
tive of favors and courtesies. The negro has two prominent, 
commendable traits, a short memory for a wrong, and a quick- 
ness to be gratified to his joy. 



THE NEGRO SLAVE IN VIRGINIA 153 

Greed of riches forces men to commit crimes and outrages 
against humanity^ and the greater the sum of wealth involved 
the greater becomes the outrages in its seeking. Perhaps 
when the Tidewater Virginian acquires the greed of riches he 
may commit its consequent crimes to accomplish his end. 
Had these owners worked their servants as laborers are 
worked in many of the densely populated cities of the world 
they would have heaped up riches. On the contrary, these 
people led a life of ease and comfort in which their servants 
participated. The tasks of the servants were usually light; 
the chopping of four or five cords of wood was a whole week's 
task. Poverty and want, such as is frequently the experience 
of the white laborer in sweat shop, or factory, was never 
known in tidewater by the master or slave. There were no 
profligate expenditures for gaudy show, neither was there 
miserly, grovelling poverty. There were no care-worn wrinkles 
in the faces of the master, or his servant, induced by poverty's 
unrelenting laws. These people were not very rich, neither 
were they very poor. The following is an interesting account 
of ^the conditions existing between the master and his slave 
written more than twenty years prior to the Civil War. 

" Slaves not allowed to keep or carry military weapons. 
Not allowed to leave home without written permission. Not 
to assemble at any meeting house or other places in the night, 
under pretence of religious worship — nor at any school for the 
purpose of being taught to read or write — nor to trade and go 
at large as freedmen — nor to hire themselves out — nor to 
preach or exhort. Some of the penalties for a violation of 
these laws are imposed upon the master, for permitting his 
slave to do certain acts ; in other cases, the slave is liable to be 
taken before a justice of the peace, and punished by stripes, 
never exceeding thirty-nine. Slaves emancipated by their 
master, are directed to leave the State within twelve months 
from the date of emancipation. These and every other law 



154 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

having the appearance of rigor towards the slaves are nearly 
dead letters upon the statute book unless during times of ex- 
citement. It is rare to witness the trial of a slave for any 
except very serious crimes. There are many offences com- 
mitted by thenij for which a freeman would be sent to the 
penitentiary, that are not noticed, or punished by a few 
stripes under the direction of the master. When tried for a 
crime, it is before a court of at least five magistrates, who 
must be unanimous to convict. They are not entitled to a 
trial by jury, but it is acknowledged on all hands that this is 
a benefit, and not a disadvantage. Slaves may be taught, 
and many of them are taught in their owner's family. They 
are allowed to attend religious worship, conducted by a white 
minister, and to receive from them religious instruction. In 
point of fact, they go where they please on Sundays, and at 
all times when they are not engaged in labor. 

" The rights and duties of slaves, as a distinct class, are 
not defined by law. They depend upon usage or custom, 
which controls the will of the master. Thus, the law does 
not recognize their right to hold property, but no instance is 
known of the masters interfering with their little acquisi- 
tions ; and it often happens, that they are considerable enough 
to purchase themselves and family. In such cases I have never 
known the master to exact from the slave the full price that 
he might have obtained from others. In the same manner, 
the quantity and quality of food and clothing, the hours of 
labor and rest, the holidays, the privileges, &c., of the slave, 
are regulated by custom, to depart materially from which 
would disgrace the master in public opinion. 

" The intercourse between the master and slave is kind, re- 
spectful and approaching to intimacy. It must be recol- 
lected that they have been brought up together, and often 
form attachments that are never broken. The servants about 
the house are treated rather as humble friends than otherwise. 



THE NEGRO SLAVE IN VIRGINIA 155 

Those employed differently have less intercourse with the 
white family ; but, when they meet, there is a civil, and often 
cordial greeting on both sides. The slaves generally look 
upon their masters and mistresses as their protectors and 
friends, ^^he slave of a gentleman universally considers him- 
self a superior being to ' poor white folks.' They take pride 
in their master's prosperity; identify his interest with their 
own; frequently assume his name; and even his title; and 
speak of his farm, his crops, and other possessions as their 
own. 

" In their nature the slaves are generally affectionate ; and 
particularly so to the children of the family, which lays the 
foundations of the attachments spoken of, continuing through 
life. (The white children — if they had the desire — are not 
permitted to tyrannize over the slaves, young or old. The 
children play together on terms of great equality, and if the 
white child gives a blow, he is apt to have it returned with 
interest. At the tables you will find the white children rising 
from them, with their little hands full of the best of every- 
thing to carry to their nurses or playmates, and I have often 
known them to deny themselves for the sake of their favorites. 
These propensities are encouraged, and everything like 
violence or tyranny strictly prohibited. The consequence is 
that when the young master (or mistress) is installed into 
his full rights of property, he finds around him no alien hire- 
lings, ready to quit his service upon the slightest provocation, 
but attached and faithful friends, known to him from his 
infancy, and willing to share his fortunes, wherever they may 
carry him. 

" The old gray headed servants are addressed by almost 
every member of the white family as ' uncles ' and ' aunts.' 
The others are treated with as much respectful familiarity as if 
they were white laborers. They never hesitate to apply to 
their masters or mistresses in every difficulty. If -they have 



156 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

any want they expect to be relieved. If they are maltreated 
they ask redress at their hands. Injury to the slave from any 
quarter, is regarded as an injury to the master. 

" When the slave is not at work he is under no restrictions 
or surveillance. He goes where he pleases and seldom asks 
for a pass. If he is on the farm at the appointed hours no 
inquiry is made how he has employed the interval. The 
regular holidays are two at Easter, two at Wliitsuntide, and a 
week at Christmas. These he enjoys by prescription, and 
others, such as Saturday evenings, by the indulgence of his 
master. The time is generally spent visiting from house to 
house and in various amusements. His favorite one is play- 
ing the fiddle, the jews harp, and dancing, and wrestling and 
cracking the bones. They have no anxiety about their fami- 
lies or the failure of crops, or the horrors of debt. Those who 
are provident employ their liberty hours in working for them- 
selves or others who may need their services. Near their 
cabins (quarters) they have ground allotted for their gardens 
and patch of corn. They are allowed to raise a hog and 
fowls. The latter they sell to their masters or others. They 
make brooms, baskets and flag chairs, corn shuck collars and 
corn shuck door mats, etc., which they sell for their own pur- 
poses. Provision was made for those who were too young or 
too old to labor. Their allowance of clothing was generally 
a hat, blanket, 2 suits clothes, 3 shirts or shifts, and 2 pair 
shoes a year. The winter suit is of strong linsey cloth, the 
summer, of linen for the men, and striped cotton for the 
women. The children have linsey and cotton garments, but 
no shoes or hat until they are 10 or 11 years old, and begin 
doing something. 

" On large farms the doctor for the slaves was paid by the 
year. When sick they are nursed by the white family, and 
whatever is necessary they are supplied with. The moral 
sense of the community would not tolerate cruelty in a master. 
I know of nothing that would bring him more surely into dis- 
grace. 



THE NEGKO SLAVE IN VIEGINIA 157 

" Negro traders are despised by the master and detested by 
the slaves. Their trade is supported by the misfortune of 
the master, and the crimes or misconduct of the slaves, and 
not by the will of either party except in fevt^ instances. Mas- 
ters will not part with their slaves but from sheer necessity, 
or for flagrant delinquencies, which in other countries would 
be punished by severity. Thousands retain them when they 
know full well that their pecuniary condition would be 
greatly improved by selling, or even giving them away. 
Sometimes a slave, after committing a theft or other crime, 
will abscond for fear of detection. If caught he is generally 
sold for the sake of the example to other slaves. From these 
sources the negro buyers are supplied, but it does not happen 
in one case out of a thousand that the master willingly sells 
an honest faithful slave. The man doing so would be looked 
upon as a sordid, inhuman wretch, and be shunned by his 
neighbors and countrymen of respectable standing. Not- 
withstanding the law to the contrary thousands of emanci- 
pated slaves remain in the State incurring the risk of being 
sold as slaves." 

Prior to the Civil War there was no migration of the free 
negro race to any of the Southern States. It is therefore to 
be presumed that all the free colored residents in Virginia at 
the period of the Civil War were manumitted slaves or their 
descendants, who were permitted to remain, notwithstanding 
laws to the contrary. It is safe to say that all the slaves who 
were manumitted — except the very few who purchased them- 
selves — were granted their freedom through motives of 
humanity, and not through economy, as there was always a 
ready market for them. Many a master in Tidewater Vir- 
ginia was deeply concerned as to what would become of his 
servants after his demise, and it is said of them that they 
would have provided for manumission but for the fact that 
they feared the freed servants could not provide for them- 
selves. 



158 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The Virginia servants were the most intelligent of their 
race who were in bondage in America. This was owing 
largely to the fact that they had greater opportunity to mingle 
with the whites than had the servants of the Cotton States, 
many of whom rarely ever saw a white man other than the 
ignorant overseer. Many of them were permitted to follow 
their young master in the hunt, and were with him in many 
of his other frolics. Many instances are recorded in which 
the servants followed their masters into the Confederate 
Army, and continued to render faithful and constant service, 
and share the dangers and privations incident to army life 
until the war closed, or their beloved master's body was laid 
in the grave. The great diversity of their labors in the field, 
the forest, and the waters was of much advantage in the train- 
ing of their minds and muscles. They were handy as plow- 
men, axemen, and sailors, and many were skilled enough to 
perform the several mechanical labors needed on the planta- 
tion. 

Because of these qualities the " negro traders " valued him 
highly, and if opportunity ojffered would give the highest 
market price for " the servant raised in Tidewater Virginia." 

The price of the average slave was from $1,200 to $1,500. 
There was but one serious uprising of the negro slaves in Vir- 
ginia, excepting the endeavor of John Brown to free 
the slaves, known in history as the "John Brown Raid," 
which occurred in 1859, during the period in which the 
famous Henry A. Wise was Governor of the State. This in- 
surrection was suppressed by him, and is a matter of history 
too well known to repeat here. 

In 1831, Nat Turner , a negro slave of Southampton 
County, Virginia, together with his brother, rallied many 
negro slaves in a band, who with stolen firearms and clubs, 
murdered several whole families, men, women and children, 
before they were apprehended by the State militia and citi- 



THE NEGRO SLAVE IN VIRGINIA 159 

zens. Nat Turner was a favorite servant, well treated, and 
trusted by his master, and therefore had no personal cause 
for his evil work except that of obtaining his freedom. It 
was said he was induced to the insurrection by superstitious 
beliefs based mainly upon the unusual appearance of the sun 
at that period. ISTat Turner left a son named John, who was 
later sold to a negro trader and taken to St. Louis, Mo., where 
he became the trusty servant of a master there who permitted 
him to hire his own time, paying the master therefor. He 
was known in that city as " Uncle John Turner, the veterina- 
rian and horse trader," and kept horses and vehicles for hire. 
He purchased his own freedom and that of his wife. He died 
in St. Louis, leaving a son, James Milton Turner, who was for 
eight years minister to Liberia, and subsequently held other 
positions of honor and trust. 



CHAPTER XV. 
Secession and Civil War. 



The secession of the slave holding States was the means of 
settling the fate of the negro slave in America. 

The writer will not discuss the wisdom, or the folly of 
secession, but mentions it as one of the great events in the 
history of Virginia, and will dismiss this question with the 
statement that the right of separation or secession of States 
from the Union was not first suggested by the people of the 
States which exercised the right of secession. 

The first public, distinct avowal of disunion was made upon 
the floor of the United States House of Eepresentatives, by 
Josiah Quincy, a distinguished member of that body from 
Boston, Massachusetts, who, in opposition to the " Louisiana 
Purchase," said : 

" I declare it as my deliberate opinion that, if the bill 
passes, the bonds of this Union are virtually dissolved; that 
the States which compose it are free from their moral obliga- 
tions ; and that, as it will be the rigJit of all, so will it be the 
duty of some, to prepare definitely for a separation amicably, 
if they can, violently, if tliey must." 

Had Massachusetts followed the advice of this famous 
leader, perhaps history would have to record how the troops of 
Virginia fought to keep Massachusetts in the Union. 

During the war with Great Britain, 1812-15, some of the 
most ardent Federalists of New England advocated secession 
at the convention held by them at Hartford, Connecticut. 

On December 20, 1860, the people of South Carolina passed 
an Ordinance of Secession in the following words : 

" We the people of the State of South Carolina, in conven- 

[160] 



SECESSION AND CIVIL WAR 161 

tion assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby de- 
clared and ordained, that the Ordinance adopted by us in 
Convention, on the twenty-third day of May, in the year of 
our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, 
whereby the Constitution of the United States was ratified, 
and all Acts and parts of Acts of the General Assembly of the 
State, ratifying Amendments of the said Constitution, are 
hereby repealed, and the Union now subsisting between South 
Carolina and other States, under the name of the United 
States of America is hereby dissolved." 

Other Southern States seceded in the following order: 

(1) Mississippi, January 9, 1861 (2) Florida, January 10. 1861 

(3) Alabama, January 11, 1861 (4) Georgia, January 19, 1861 

(5) Louisiana, January 26, 1861 (6) Texas, February 1, 1861 

(7) Virginia, April 17, 1861 (8) Arkansas, May 6, 1861 

(9) Tennessee, May 7, 1861 (10) No. Carolina, May 20, 1861 

The six first named States, along with South Carolina, sent 
delegates to a convention which met at Montgomery, Ala- 
bama, on iFebruary 4, 1861, to form the " Confederate 
States of America." 

Following close upon secession, came the war for the pre- 
servation of the Union. Both adherents to the contest were 
terribly in earnest to defend their views, and during four 
weary years, death and destruction through a civil war stalked 
defiantly throughout this hitherto peaceful brotherhood of 
States. 

Men differed upon this great subject, and because of this 
difference of opinion, the friendships born of the same 
hearthstone, and cemented by the nearest and dearest ties of 
kindred, were torn asunder and cast aside that man's most 
violent passions might have full sway. 

"Lay down the axe, fling by the spade, 
Leave in its tracks the toiling plow; 
The rifle and the bayonet blade 
For arms like yours were fitter now." 
11 



162 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

When President Lincoln made an attempt to re-enforce 
Fort Sumter the people of the South on April 12, attacked 
the fort. This was the real beginning of the war. 

The first shot at Fort Sumter, was fired from Cumminga 
Point, Morris Island, by Edmund Puffin, a Tidewater Vir- 
ginian, then about seventy years of age. He was born in Isle 
of Wight County, Virginia. He implored this privilege, and 
was assigned to duty in the Palmetto Guards. 

The firing upon Fort Sumter was accepted as the first 
hostile engagement between the forces of the Confederacy and 
the Federal Government. Sumter was evacuated by the Fed- 
eral forces on April 14, 1861. On the following day, April 
15, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call upon the several 
States for their quota of militia to aid in maintaining the 
National Union. This call of President Lincoln precipitated 
action on the part of Virginia, and two days thereafter, on 
April 17, 1861, an Ordinance of Secession was passed. The 
Governor, John Letcher, thereupon issued a proclamation 
announcing the accession of Virginia to the Confederacy. 
Immediately after this, a military league was formed of the 
people of Virginia with the " Confederate States of the 
South." By this treaty, the latter were bound to march to the 
aid of Virginia against the invasion of the Federal Govern- 
ment. 

The first Federal troops to reach the Federal Capital, 
Washington, D. C, in response to President Lincoln's call, 
were five companies of Pennsylvanians, composed of five hun- 
dred and thirty troops, from Pottsville, Eeading, Lewistown, 
and Allentown. They reached Washington on the evening of 
April 18, 1861. The writer, then a lad of seventeen years of 
age, a runaway from school, was one of the five hundred and 
thirty troops above referred to. 

On the evening of April 18, 1861, the five hundred and 
thirty Pennsylvanians reached Washington from Harrisburg, 




Carpet Bag of Reconstruction Days. 





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Edmund Ruffin. 

The Tidewater Virginian who fired the first shot at Fort Sumter at the 
beginning of the Civil \\ar. 



SECESSION AND CIVIL WAR 163 

Pa., by way of Baltimore City, and camped in the Capitol 
Building, that same evening, occupying both the Senate and 
House of Eepresentatives chambers. They were accom- 
panied from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by forty troops of the 
Eegular Army, under command of Lieutenant John C. Pem- 
berton, who, upon reaching Baltimore, resigned his command 
at Fort McHenry, went South and subsequently was placed in 
command, as Lieutenant-General, of the Confederate Army 
at Vicksburg, Mississippi, where it was the fortune of the 
writer, while with the Federal Army, in Jul}'-, 1863, to again 
meet this officer. 

On the evening of April 19, 1861, the 6th Massachusetts 
volunteers also reached Washington City. In passing through 
Baltimore City, Maryland, several of the Massachusetts men. 
were killed. 

The Pennsylvania and Massachusetts troops, above men- 
tioned, were the only Federal soldiers in the city of Washing- 
ton until April 25, 1861, when the 7th Eegiment New York 
volunteers arrived there by way of Annapolis, as all the rail- 
road bridges had been burned, and all the telegraph lines 
leading into Washington had been cut, thus completely isolat- 
ing that city with less than two thousand Federal troops to 
guard it. 

Had Virginia been active following the Ordinance of Seces- 
sion, passed by her Legislature on the 17th of April. 1861, her 
troops could have entered and taken possession of Washington 
City, as there were no Federal troops there until the evening 
of April 18th, 1861, except, a corporal's guard of regulars, and 
a small quota of District militia to oppose, and less than two 
thousand Federal troops there until the evening of April 25, 
1861. 

The " Richmond Enquirer " of April 23, 1861, said: " The 
capture of Washington City is perfectly within the power of 
A^irginia and Maryland, if Virginia will only make the 
proper effort by her constituted authorities." 



164 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

At midnight, on May 23, 1861, the first Federal troops to 
invade the State crossed to Virginia by way of Aqueduct 
Bridge, at Georgetown, D. C, near the head of tidewater. 
There were three columns, each to cross the Potomac Eiver 
into Virginia at different points; they moved almost simul- 
taneously. The one by way of Aqueduct Bridge, which was 
the first to reach Virginia, was commanded by General Irwin 
McDowell. As it advanced to the Virginia end of the bridge, 
they forced the State pickets to retire. The second column 
crossed at the Long Bridge, from Washington City ; the third 
column, destined for Alexandria City, embarked on two 
schooners from the Eastern Branch, a tributary of the Poto- 
mac which enters that river on the southern part of Washing- 
ton City, 

This last column, which embarked on the two schooners, 
was composed of the New York Eire Zouave Eegiment, under 
Col. E. E. Ellsworth. Through the coming of Ellsworth to 
Alexandria was shed the first blood of the men of the North 
and the men of the South, during the Civil War, upon the 
soil of Tidewater Virginia, Upon entering Alexandria, Ells- 
worth seeing a Confederate flag floated from the " Marshall 
House," on King Street, went in person and took it down, and 
when descending a staircase with it, he was shot and killed by 
Jackson, the proprietor of the hotel. The killing of Ells- 
worth was followed by the immediate killing of Jackson by 
one of Ellsworth's soldiers. Jackson was not an enlisted 
man. 

Alexandria City was taken by the Federal army without 
battle, other than a few stray shots from the Virginia sentries 
as they retired before the advance of the Federal forces. 

The first battle fought upon the land, during the Civil War, 
was at Big Bethel, York County, in " The Peninsula " divi- 
sion of Tidewater Virginia, on June 10, 1861, and the first 
soldier of the Confederate army killed during the War in a 



SECESSION AND CIVIL WAK 165 

land battle, was Henry Lawson Wyatt, a private of Company 
K, First North Carolina Eegiment of Volunteers, at Big 
Bethel, on the date above named. Major Theodore Winthrop, 
of Massachusetts, Aide and Military Secretary to Gen. B. F. 
Butler, was the first Federal soldier shot in this battle. He 
was killed by a shot from a North Carolina drummer boy as 
he climbed on a stump to reconnoiter. It is said of him that 
« the first suggestion of arming the black man in this war came 
from Theodore Winthrop." 

Thus began the battling of the Civil War within " The 
Peninsula " section, and almost within sight of the spot where 
the first colony seated to form the nucleus of this mighty 
nation. This early battle ground, where brothers of the one 
Nation first fought each other to the death, during the Civil 
War, was made sacred by the early pioneers of a new civiliza- 
tion, through their suffering of famine and disease, and 
through their struggles with the wild men, and the wild beasts 
of a new world, and through their own hardships and labors, 
they brought forth a garden spot from a wilderness of forest 
and swamp, in the hopes that their offspring might dwell 
therein in peace, and thrive therein in plenty. 

Virginia at once became the chief State in the Confederacy, 
and itl principal battle ground during the entire war. All 
parts of the State are dotted throughout with the^ sites of 
battle fields, excepting the two counties of the "Eastern 
Shore " peninsula which, during the whole war, were in the 
possession of the Federal forces. 

It is said to be manifestly impossible to secure absolutely 
correct statistics of the Civil War which continued for four 
years, from 1861 to 1865. 

The Adjutant General's office gives the following statistics 
of the Civil War : The statistics for the Confederate troops 
are only partially given. Federal troops killed in battle, 
67,058; died of wounds, 43,013; died of disease, 199,730; 



166 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

other causes, such as accidents, murder, in Confederate 
prisons, etc., 40,154. Total, 349,944. Deserted, 199,105. 

Confederate troops who died of wounds or disease (partial 
statement), 133,831; deserted (partial statement), 104,428. 
Number of Federal troops captured during the War, 312,608 ; 
Confederate troops captured during the War, 476,169 ; Num- 
ber Federal troops paroled on the field, 16,431 ; Confederate 
troops paroled on the field, 248,599; number of Federal 
troops who died while prisoners, 30,156; Confederate troops 
who died while prisoners, 30,153, a difference only of three 
men in a total, 60,309. 

Aggregate number of men credited in the several calls for 
troops, and put into the service in the Federal Army, Navy 
and Marine Corps, from the first call of President Lincoln, 
April 15, 1861, to April 14, 1865, was 2,656,553. 

The total number of men put into the service in the Con- 
federate States cannot be definitely ascertained. It is esti- 
mated between 700,000 and 1,000,000. 

There were mustered out of the Federal Service in 1865, 
when the war closed, 786,000 officers and men. 

There were 1,882 battles fought, being an average of more 
than one battle for each day of the entire war. About one- 
half of these were fought in Virginia. Of this number, in 
112 battles, there were more than 500 men killed in each 
battle. The killed in battle would average more than fourteen 
hundred men in each month of the war, from its beginning to 
the close. 

It is estimated that the cost of the Civil War, to the North 
and the South, irrespective of the money value of the slaves, 
was in expenditure of money, loss of property, etc., about 
eleven billions of dollars. 

The Eevolutionary War cost $135,193,703, and 30,000 
American soldiers' lives. 

The War of 1812 cost $107,150,000, and 2,000 American 
lives. 



SECESSION AND CIVIL WAR 167 

The Mexican AVar cost $74,000,000, and 2,000 American 
lives. 

Indian wars and other minor wars cost $1,000,000,000, and 
49,000 American lives. 

The eastern portion of Tidewater Virginia, bordering on 
the Potomac Eiver, the Chesapeake Bay, and the lower James 
Eiver, was in possession of and within the lines of the Federal 
armies early in the war. 

The inland portions of Tidewater Virginia were the scenes 
of many desperate conflicts between the Federal and Con- 
federate forces. 



CHAPTEE XVI 
The Negro and His Former Master. 



It is not the purpose of the writer to record in detail the 
history of emancipation. Before the Civil War, the question 
of the extension of slavery was warmly discussed and its 
boundaries in part were settled by a compromise, known as the 
Missouri Compromise, and the question of manumitting the 
slaves was also earnestly discussed by men of the South, many 
of whom were prominent and influential in state and nation. 
Among these men was Thomas Jefferson, who earnestly advo- 
cated the emancipation of slaves by the State of Virginia. 
His plan was to provide by law that all children born after a 
certain date were to be free, though their parents might be 
slaves. This was the plan pursued by some of the Northern 
States. Many other prominent men in the South felt as did 
Jefferson, that at some day the States should provide for 
emancipation. Following the Nat Turner insurrection, the 
sentiment for emancipation of the slaves grew greatly. Some 
proposed to colonize the negroes, and societies composed of 
the best people were formed in all parts of the State for this 
purpose. The question of setting free all the slaves was 
warmly debated in the Legislature of A-^irginia and a bill to 
abolish slavery was offered and was defeated in the lower 
house by a small majority. The fact that many prominent 
men must have favored emancipation is proven by the large 
number of " free negroes " resident in the Southern States in 
1860, who were either ex-slaves or their descendants, notwith- 
standing the laws to the contrary which provided for their 
removal when freed. 

[168] 



THE NEGRO AND HIS FORMER MASTER 



169 



Number of Slaves and Free Colored In the United States 

In 1790 and in 1860. 

The First and Last Census of the Slaves. 



CENSUS OF 1790. 



Statb. 



Alabama 

Arkansas 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maryland 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey 

New York 

North Carolina 

Pennsylvania 

Rhode Island 

South Carolina 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Virginia 

District of Columbia 
Utah Territory , 



Totals 



Slaves. 



2,764 
8,887 



29,264 
12,436 

ibs'.ose 



158 

11,423 

21,324 

100,572 

3,737 

948 

107,094 

3,417 



292,627 



697,681 



Free 
Colored. 



8,899 
398 



114 

8,043 



630 
2,762 
4,654 
4,975 
6,537 
3,407 
1,801 

361 



12.866 



50,447 



CENSUS OF 1860 



Slaves. 



435,080 
111,115 



1,798 

01,745 

462,198 

2* 

225,485 

331,726 

87,189 

436,631 

114,931 

15* 



18^ 
331,659" 



402,406 
275,719 
182,566 
490,865 
3,185 
29* 



3,953,760 



Free 
Colored. 



2,690 

144 

8,627 

19,829 

932 

3,500 

625 

10,684 

18,647 

83,942 

773 

3,572 

67 

494 

25,318 

49,005 

30 463 

56,942 

8,959 

9,914 

7,300 

355 

58,042 

11,131 

30 



406,985 



The above table includes all the slaves in the United States 
as enumerated by the United States Census, during the years 
1790 and I860, respectively, and the free colored only in the 
States in which slaves were enumerated during one or both of 
the census years above named. This table indicates a large 
increase of free colored in the respective slave-holding States 
between the years 1790 and 1860, notwithstanding the fact 
that very many of the slaves upon being freed, removed to the 



170 LIFE IN OLD VIllGINIA 

non-slave holding States. The States marked with a star, in 
the Census of I860, were non-slave holding. The slaves 
enumerated therein happened to be there with their masters 
at the time the census was taken, except in the case of New 
Jersey, where they were " colored apprentices for life," by the 
act to abolish slavery, passed by New Jersey, April 18, 1804. 

In 1790, slaves were held in every one of the seventeen 
States then in the Union, excepting Maine, Massachusetts, 
and Vermont. History accredits New England Eum, 
Yankee Skippers, and English Captains of ships with supply- 
ing the. slave markets of America until suppressed by law. 

The total cost of the Civil War was a sum more than 
equal to the payment of $2,000 for every slave, male and 
female, old and young, in the United States in the year 1860. 

Before the Civil War was far advanced, the question of 
granting freedom to the slaves was first brought to the atten- 
tion of the Federal Government through the practice by many 
of the commanding officers of the Federal army returning 
captured fugitive slaves to their owners. 

On July 9, 1861, a resolution was passed by Congress 
that it was "no part of the duty of soldiers of the United 
States to capture and return fugitive slaves." 

On August 10, 1862, a joint resolution was passed by the 
Federal Congress " That the government cooperate with any 
State whose inhabitants might adopt measures for emancipa- 
tion and should give to such State pecuniary aid, to be used by 
it, at its discretion, to compensate it for the inconvenience, 
public and private produced by such change of system." 

On February 3, 1865, a peace commission from the Con- 
federate States met on board a steamer anchored in Hampton 
Eoads, Virginia, at which were present Alexander Stephens, 
R. M. T. Hunter and J. A. Campbell, of the Confederate side, 
and President Lincoln, and Secretary of State, Seward, on 
the Federal side. At this conference, it is said that President 



THE NEGRO AND HIS FORMER MASTER 171 

Lincoln made the following remarks to Mr. Stephens: 
" Your people might after all, get $400,000,000 for the slaves, 
and you would be surprised if I should call the names of some 
of those who favor such a proposition." 

On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued a pre- 
liminary proclamation of emancipation. He then declared 
that on the first day of January nest ensuing, the slaves 
within every State, or designated part of a State, the people 
whereof should then be in rebellion, should be declared 
"thence forward and forever free." He also declared 
that any State in which " rebellion " had existed that 
should have in Congress at that time — January 1, 1863 — 
representatives chosen in good faith, at a legal election by the 
qualified voters of such State should be exempted from the 
operations of the proclamation. 

On January 1, 1863, he issued a Proclamation of Eman- 
cipation, designating the States and parts of States wherein 
the people were in rebellion, and among the places excepted 
from the operations of this proclamation were the following 
counties and cities of Tidewater Virginia : "Accomac, North- 
ampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, 
including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and which 
excepted parts are, for the present, left precisely as if this 
proclamation were not issued." This proclamation did not 
interfere with the slaves within the territory above named, 
neither did it interfere with the slave States outside the Con- 
federacy, viz : Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. 
Slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia by bill 
approved April 16, 1862. 

Freedom was extended to all slaves within the United 
States and Territories by Article XIII, Section 2, of the 
Amendment to the United States Constitution. The amend- 
m.ent was proposed at the second session of the 38th Congress, 
passing the Senate April 8, 1864, and the House January 31, 
1865. It was officially announced to the country December 



172 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

18, 1865, that it had been ratified by three-fourths of the 
States, and was therefore a part of the supreme law of tho 
land. 

Freedom was accepted by the negroes according to their 
natural temperament. Some of them were loud and demon- 
strative in their joys. Such was "Aunt Dorcas," a portly, 
dark yellow woman, whose former master and mistress were 
extremely lenient and kind to their servants. Her mistress 
died many years preceding the Civil War and her master died 
a short while after the war began, and his estate being in an 
unsettled condition, "Aunt Dorcas," together with the other 
servants, were deeply concerned as to whose hands they might 
fall into, and greatly relieved when the war ended with their 
freedom. She was the principal servant about the house, and 
recognizing her responsibilities, she refused to take advantage 
of the many opportunities offered here to escape to freedom; 
thus she remained true to the last. After the war she settled 
at the Court House village, and made her living by laundry 
work for its inhabitants. That she was anxious and grateful 
for her freedom, was manifest in her actions during the first 
two or three years following her entry into the village. When 
the spirit moved her — at intervals of two or three times a 
week — she would walk into the middle of the public road, 
raise here eyes and her hands Heavenward and cry out in 
loud, beseeching tones : " Th-a-ank Je-e-sus I'se free-e ! 
Ya-a-s my Je-eus I'se free-e !" after which she would go into 
her house, get her laundry basket and collect her day's work 
from the white residents of the village. Such was the innate 
good manners of the white residents of this village — ^both old 
and young — that "Aunt Dorcas " was never disturbed, by act 
or voice, while in her moods of rejoicing. The whites were 
civil in their manner towards the negroes, and the negroes 
were also civil to the whites. 

" A soft answer turneth away wrath; 
But grievous words stir up anger." 



THE NEGRO AND HIS FORMER MASTER 173 

Very many of the negroes made no demonstration what- 
ever to indicate their feelings upon the subject of freedom, 
but went about stolidly as before without change of manners 
or conduct. 

The elderly negroes were somewhat dazed by their free- 
dom, and were at a loss to determine its full scope. Owing 
to rumors of repeated bondage, which were idly circulated 
by the thoughtless, some of these old servants were shy of re- 
maining upon the old homestead to which their former master 
and mistress had kindly invited them and hospitably offered 
a shelter for life. Some of them after accepting these hospi- 
table offers, would suddenly leave their homes as if to deter- 
mine fully their freedom. Very often this sudden determi- 
nation to make a change was brought about by the twitting of 
others of their race in charging them with yet belonging 
to their former owners. Especially was this the case where 
the servants continued to address the former master or mis- 
tress in the courteous manner of their former bondage, aa 
" Marster," or '' Missus," but notwithstanding these upbraid- 
ings of the younger ones, many of these old servants con- 
tinued this courteous manner of salutation for several years 
after their freedom, and finally the appellation " Boss " was 
substituted for " Marster " and " Mam " for " Missus." 

When the Civil War ended and emancipation of the slave 
became a fact throughout the whole United States, both the 
former master, and his former servant, were met with new 
problems in the labor market. From the position of absolute 
owner and master of his laborers to that of landlord only, and 
from absolute bondage — without cares or responsibilities — to 
that of a freeman, with all its perplexities and responsibili- 
ties, were the conditions forced upon the white man, and the 
negro of the Southern States, without a personal experience 
for either to guide them. The majority of the masters never 
before had occasion to rent their lands, or to use any labor 



174 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

outside of what they owned^ except perhaps, for some high 
grade mechanical work. The slave and his family were cared 
for by the owner, whether the servant were industrious or in- 
dolent, and when he was freed, the value of his services were 
to he measured by his own industry and capability. Gene- 
rations of bonded servitude made the bondsman dependent 
upon others for guidance. He had no occasion to exercise 
brain power, other than in performing his daily set tasks re- 
gardless of the profits or losses which might follow success or 
failure. 

During the first few years following freedom, it was diffi- 
cult to induce the servants to make binding bargains for a 
year's services upon the plantation, owing to the dread that 
such promises were binding bargains against their liberty. 
Very many left their homes during the war, and many of t 
those who remained, or returned, were undetermined what to y 
do; thus there developed a serious uncertainty in the labor ■ 
market. There was also a " spell of idleness " pervading the 
air which laid its microbe upon young and old, as it attacks 
the school boy who is not well enough to attend his school, but 
is quite hearty enough to spend the idle day in active sports 
with companions of his kind. During these periods of idle- 
ness, many of the servants would refuse a day's labor with 
remunerative pay and ample food, and instead would prefer ' 
to carry a peck of their own corn, worth ten cents, to the grist 
mill, distant perhaps several miles, and while hungrily await- " 
ing " their turn " to have it ground into meal, for which one- 
eighth was deducted therefrom for " toll ;" they would spend 
the day upon the banks of the mill pond, nodding in the sun- v 
shine, while they held in their hand a fishing line baited for 
*' mill pond suckers." 

These were trying times for the farmer who had managed 
to seed his crops upon his lands, and which now needed " lay- 
ing by" — the finishing furrow to the corn crop. Many of 




Wind Grist Mill, Mathews Co., Va. 




Water-power, "Overshot Wheel," Grist Mill, Richmond Co., Va. 



THE NEGRO AND IIIS FORMEPv MASTER 175 

those who never before had done a day's labor in the field, 
now took off their coats^ and went manfully to work. 

It is related that a certain dignified old gentleman, who 
heretofore had an abundance of servants, and therefore un- 
used to labor himself, finding his corn fields needed plowing, 
and unable to obtain labor, determined, against the remon- 
strance of his tender-hearted wife, to " lay his com by " him- 
self. "With this purpose in view, early the following morning, 
he liitched to his plow a young, sprightly mule. About the 
hour the sun had arisen well up in the heavens and heated the 
atmosphere, owing to the quick movem^ents of his young mule, 
he had made progress enough through the tall corn to fati^e 
him, and warm him, so much that he was compelled to shed 
some of his garments at the end of each corn row. One by 
one went his garments, first his coat, then his vest at the other 
end of the row, then followed his cravat, his collar, his dress 
sliirt, his shoes and socks, and his hat — distributed from 
end to end of the field. Nevertheless the perspiration was 
increasing on his body, notwithstanding he had shed the last 
garment he could with propriety spare therefrom. Deciding 
to view the result of his labors, he mounted the fence, and 
with mortification and disgust, beheld the small space of corn- 
field which he had so laboriously " laid by ;" he then glanced 
over the larger remaining unplowed portion which was a 
greater surprise to him. Upon taking a second glance of the 
unplowed lands, and then viewing the reeking condition of 
his lone nether garment, and his smoking hot mule, he waved 
his hand in the direction of the unplowed field and cried 
aloud with determined and indignant voice, " I'll lay you all 
by yet, if it kills me." 

His anxious wife had sent her only servant, a faithful old 
black mammy cook, to the field with a jug of cool, fresh water 
for the old gentleman. The servant reached the cornfield 
just as he had finished his view of the unplowed lands, when 



176 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

he began to heap imprecations upon the " lazy niggers/' the 
''Yankees/' and "emancipation." Upon her return to her 
mistress she was asked how her master was getting on in his 
work. " I tells you Missus/' she replied, " I'se feered ol' 
Marster don' loss his mind. He don' flung away mos' ev'ry 
stitch uv his clothes, an' he was rarrin' an' pitchin' 'bout de 
lazy, sorry niggers, de Yankees, an' 'mancipation. It's de 
truff ef evah I tol' it Missus, dat de words ol' Marster was a 
sayin' was jes' mos' laik ol' time 'tracted meetin' preachin' as 
evah I heerd in all ma bo'n days." 

The problem of labor was finally solved in the majority of 
instances by the owner of the lands " sharing the crops " with 
the laborer. Under this method, a certain part of the crops 
were to be set aside for the hire of the lands, the team, and 
the implements, and the remainder was to be divided between 
the owner and the tenant. This plan was known as " working 
on shares," and under the conditions prevailing at that date, 
it probably was the better plan, as the owner of the lands was 
not at that period prepared with ready money to hire labor, 
and the negro was in the same condition as to the means to 
purchase teams, implements^, and food to last until the crops 
were harvested. 

This arrangement continued for many successive years, 
and is yet the plan followed in many instances. 

It is related that there was a certain close-fisted fanner 
who persuaded a negro away from his former master's service 
by making him the liberal offer of one-half of the crop, reserv- 
ing the other half for the use of the land and team. 

After the crop was harvested this old servant was met on 
the road by his former master, and inquiry was made as to 
how he succeeded in farming on such liberal sharing of the 
crop. 

"Ise gittin' on mighty slow Boss," said he, "I wucked 
Mistuh C ^'s co'n crap on half shar's, an' kaze nv de drouf 



THE NEGRO AND HIS FORMER MASTER 177 

dar war'nt mo' dan half a crap rais', an' Mistuh C lie say 

to me dat dar's no use 'sputin' 'bout it, kaze de half crap dat 
wuz raise mus' sholy go fo' de Ian' an' de mulea. I don quit 
'sputin' wid him, an' I don quit wuckin' on sich shar's as dat." 

Whenever an industrious negro desired to obtain a home 
of his own, he was usually helped by the whites, selling him 
a portion of their lands upon easy terms. By this means 
many homes have been secured by negroes. 

The negro is appreciative of praise for tasks well done. 
Yery few of them have the initiative to meet sudden, unex- 
pected emergencies. This may be due to their training in 
days of bondage — awaiting instructions or orders from others. 
Many, or repeated instructions, or orders, relative to his 
task are apt to confuse instead of aiding him. The negro is 
naturally more inclined to Jollity than to seriousness, and is 
quick to perceive and appreciate the humor of the ridiculous 
in one of his own race, and upon occasions, gives boisterous 
vent, instead of suppression to his humor. 

A negro might have a slow, shambling gait when at his work, 
but when he danced, there was " nothing slow about him." 
Nearly every young negro dances, and always to lively tunes, 
whether they are played upon the fiddle, banjo, jewsharp, or 
mouth organ, or if they are " patted " to him, he will keep ex- 
cellent time, and cut more " pigeon wings " than any pro- 
fessional minstrel of the present day. 

Few whites can equal his performances, and none can sur- 
pass him in shaking his feet. The following is one of the old 
time popular " jig " songs. 

De hen an' chickens went to roos' 
De hawk flew down an' bit de goes' 
He bit de ol' hen in de bac' 
I do b'lieve dat am a fac,. 

O Jinnie git yo' hoe cake don' ma dear, 
O Jinnie git yo' hoe cake don'. 

12 



178 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 



As I was gwine 'long down de road, 
'Pon a stump dar sot a toad, 
De toad he winked to tadpole's daughter 
An' kicked a big frog in de water. 

O Jinnie git yo' hoe cake don' ma dear, 
O Jinnie git yo' hoe cake don'. 



This was a lively tune, and needed sprightly limbs to keep 
time to it. 

During these later years, the negroes are giving up their 
singing, dancing, wrestling or kicking bouts in public, which 
were the chief pastime of their fathers in the days of slavery 
and immediately after the Civil War. 



CHAPTEE XVII 
County Courts in Tidewater Virginia 



The origin of government, and of the courts of law from 
their first beginning in Virginia is a lengtliy and interesting 
study for the student at law, and because of its voluminous 
proportions will not be closely followed by the writer. It is 
said that, " as every new law is made to remove some incon- 
venience the State was subject to before the making of it, and 
for which no other method of redress was effectual, the law 
itself is a standing, and the most authentic evidence we can 
require of the state of things previous to it." 

From the very beginning of the settlement, and for at least 
five years following, the colonists were but the servants of the 
London Company who transported them to Virginia in its 
own vessels, and maintained them there at its cost. When 
they reached Virginia they were divided into groups to work 
under the supervision of men chosen to direct them in their 
labors. They were to carry out the orders of the Company: 
" To build and fortify the town, to clear and prepare ground 
for planting, to explore the rivers," etc. The advice was: 
" The way to prosper and achieve good success is to make 
yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country and 
your own." The colony was begun "a kingdom without 
written laws," and so continued until the meeting of the first 
House of Burgess in 1619. Until then they were supposed to 
be governed by the laws of England, but when the three ships 
conveying the colony weighed anchor and set sail from Black- 
wells, the laws of England like many other hom-e comforts 
were left behind. 

From 1G07 to 1609 the colony was under the immediate 

[ 179 ] 



180 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

control of a president and a council who administered such 
justice as their wills dictated. The great power vested in this 
first council and president was manifest upon the return of 
Captain John Smith to Jamestown after his rescue from death 
by Pocahontas, in January, 1608. The council then held him 
responsible for the death of his crew by the Indian Chief 
Opechanchanough ; for this the council condemned him to die, 
and but for the timely arrival of Capt. Newport from England 
upon the morning set for Smith's execution, they would have 
carried their design into effect. 

Until the colony increased in numbers and expanded in 
territory, and the individual member could lay claim to the 
products of his own industry, there was no need for courts of 
justice such as now exist, because there were neither property 
nor individual rights to settle. 

The colony from its first settlement in 1G07, up to the year 
1624 was under the control of the Virginia Company of Lon- 
don — a proprietary government. After that it was a royal 
government under the control of the Crown of England. 

In 1609 the Company chose the first governor and lieuten- 
ant-governor, who superseded the former president ; there wag 
also a council. The Company continued to appoint governors 
until the revocation of its charter in 1624, after which the 
Executives of Virginia were appointed by the King, excepting 
during the period from 1652 to 1660 when they were elected 
by the House of Burgesses. The Council were the governor's 
advisers in executive matters. They constituted the General 
Court — the Supreme Court of the Colony — and were also 
members of the General Assembly, corresponding to the pres- 
ent Senate of the State. Sometimes they acted as county 
lieutenants or commanders-in-chief of their county. 

The first election for a legislative body on the American 
Continent was held in Virginia, in 1619, when the planters 
were given a hand in governing themselves through the elec- 
tion of Burgesses — the lower house of Assembly. 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 181 

In 1619 Governor Yeardley issued a proclamation in 
accordance with his "general instructions establishing a 
Commonwealth," known as the " Great Charter :" " That all 
those that were residents at the departure of Sir Thos. Dale 
(April 1616) should be freed and acquitted from such 
publique services and labours which formerly they suffered, 
and that those cruel laws by which we had so long been gov- 
erned were now abrogated by those free laws which his 
majesties subjects live under in Englande." And that they 
might have a hand in the governing themselves, it was granted 
that " a general assembly should be held yearly once, whereat 
were to be present the Governor and Counsell, with two Bur- 
gesses from each Plantation freely to be elected by the inhab- 
itants thereof; the Assembly to have power to make and 
ordaine whatsoever lawes and orders should by them be 
thought good and profitable for our subsistence." 

The exact date of this first election in America is not 
known; it is supposed to have been some time in June, 1619. 

In 1619 each town, hundred and plantation was to be incor- 
porated into one body corporate (a borough), and each 
borough had the right to elect two Burgesses to the General 
Assembly, hence their name of Burgesses, from Borough. 

One of the Burgesses describes this first meeting of the 
General Assembly at Jamestown on July 30, 1619, as follows: 

" The most convenient place we could find to set in was the 
Quire of the Church, where Sir Geo. Yeardley, the Governor, 
being sett downe in his accustomed place, those of the Council 
of Estate sat next him on both handes, except only the Secre- 
tary, then appointed speaker, who sat right before him : John 
Twine, clerk of the General Assembly, being placed next the 
Speaker; and Thos. Pierce, the serjeant, standing at the 
barre, to be ready for any service the Assembly should com- 
mand him. All the Burgesses took their places in the Quire 
till a prayer was said by Mr. Bucke, the minister, that it would 



183 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

please God to guide and to sanctiiie all our proceedings to his 
owne glory and to the good of this Plantation. Prayer being 
ended the Burgesses retired to the body of the church, 
where they were called by order and by name, and so 
every man (none staggering at it) took the oath of Supre- 
macy, and then entered the Assembly. The Council had been 
previously sworn, the first business before the Assembly was 
to decide who were entitled to sit as members. The Speaker, 
John Pory was one of the Council of State." 

The General Assembly consisted of the House of Burgesses 
and the Council together with the Governor. They sat as one 
body until the time of Lord Culpeper who brought about the 
separation of the Council from the Burgesses. They all kept 
their hats on in session in token of authority. All the acts 
of Assembly during the control of the London Company were 
first sent to England for their approval before they became 
laws. The Company had the power to confirm or annul the 
acts of the Assembly. 

The legislature of Virginia has ever been free from scandal 
excepting during the short period of " Reconstruction," when 
there were some adventurers, known as " carpet baggers," 
seated in that body. The members from the rural districts 
are chosen from the more intelligent and highly respected 
classes, many of whom are lawyers, or country gentlemen. 
Such men as have no political axes to grind, and who would 
scornfully refuse to turn the " grindstone of legislation " for 
purposes of sharpening the venal tools of others, are the men 
as a rule, selected for the legislature from the county 
districts. 

From its first session to the present day, its membership has 
had upon its rolls the names of men famous as orators, states- 
men, and jurists. It has often been made the school through 
which were graduated some of the Nation's most distinguished 
citizens. 

County Courts had their origin in 1623 when commanders 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 183 

of plantations first held court under Act of Assembly passed 
in that year, empowering them to hold monthly courts in the 
corporations of Charles City, and Elizabeth City. The com- 
manders were styled " judges " of monthly courts. In 1638, 
Commissioners succeeded commanders as judges of monthly 
courts. County Courts were first established by Act of 
Assembly in 1642. The jurisdiction of the Court was then 
further extended to sixteen hundred pounds of tobacco, and 
the monthly courts were to be thereafter called " County 
Courts." By Act of November, 1645, because of the great 
distance of many parts of the colony from James City, where 
the Quarter Courts were, held, jurisdiction was given to the 
County Courts, in all cases of law and equity, and trial by 
jury secured to those who desired it. 

In 1661 the office of Justice of the Peace was first named 
such by Act of Assembly. They were originally called Com- 
missioners. The County Courts continued under the juris- 
diction of justices of the peace until after the Civil War. 
The justices of the peace prior to and during the Civil War, 
were selected from the best citizens of the county — the digni- 
fied, educated and often wealthy gentlemen. 

During Eeconstruction days pending the adoption of a 
new Constitution, the old Court System was continued, but 
the justices were appointed by the military officer in charge of 
the State. Owing to the disfranchisement clauses in these 
acts, which disqualified many of the most intelligent men of 
the State, it was difficult in some neighborhoods to obtain 
suitably intelligent men to fill these offices. 

The writer was present at a trial conducted during Recon- 
struction Days before a justice of the peace who received 
his appointment from General Canby, then commanding 
in Virginia. The case was a trivial assault upon a con- 
stable, by throwing a bucket of slop water upon his head from 
a second story window as he was about to enter a carriage 



184 V LIFE IN" OLD VIRGINIA 

maker's shop to serve a summons. The trial was an amusing 
instance of ignorance of law by all parties engaged in it. 
The justice before whom the trial was held lived in a two- 
room weather-boarded log house. This dwelling was in the 
midst of a big corn field through which a narrow road led 
from the main highway. 

At the appointed hour all parties interested in the case, 
together with numerous friends of the defendant, presented 
themselves at the door of the justice's dwelling, where it was 
ascertained that he was " out in the low ground a' grubbin' 
an' burnin' bresh." The party were cordially invited into the 
house and told to "rest your hats upon the bed." The 
crowd filled the small room and overflowed to the threshold 
upon which two or three found a resting place. 

The hostess said she would call her husband, and thereupon 
blew two long blasts in a " conch shell horn " which she took 
from a shelf close to the doorway. Soon thereafter the man 
of law made his appearance with a grubbing hoe under his 
arm, his hat in one hand, and a big, red cotton bandanna hand- 
kerchief in the other with which he mopped the sweat of lion,' 
est toil from a bald head. He cordially shook hands with 
each one — all of whom he knew personally — and civilly in- 
quired about the health of their families. 

This gentleman was a typical poor white man of Tidewater 
Virginia; an honest, industrious, independent, orderly citi- 
zen, but totally illiterate, and therefore unfitted for the re- 
sponsible position assigned him. During the trial, ,his 
opinion was asked in a certain matter of law, and he humor- 
ously replied : " I don't know much about the book laws. I 
never went to school but two days in my life. It rained liTce 
all scissors both days, and the teacher didn't come nary day of 
the two, so I quit wastin' time and went to work, and I've 
been at work ever since. I'll think this thing over, an' let ye 
know." 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 185 

He was the owner of a considerable number of acres of poor 
land which had been in the possession of his ancestors for 
generations and was worked by all of these several generations 
without adding anything to improve the soil. He made a liv- 
ing for himself and wife by his own industry and frugality, 
but was too poor to own servants. He took no part in the 
war, and was not an advocate of secession ; neither did he hold 
office before the war; therefore he was eligible under the Ee- 
eonstruction Acts. 

The Commonwealth attorney who represented the plaintiflE 
in the case was also a military appointee ; a native of a west- 
ern State, fresh from his graduating class in a law school, and 
without knowledge of law other than " book larnin'." This 
was his first case in a " real court of justice." Unfortu- 
nately for him, his " law library " consisted of his answer to 
the " Quiz " of the Court before whom he was first licensed, 
together with a copy of " Blackstone's Commentaries," and a 
book on " Evidence." 

As the weather was warm and pleasant outdoors, and the 
accommodations within the house were too limited for the 
assemblage, it was suggested that the trial be held in the 
shade of a big pine tree that stood nearby and adjoining the 
*'' worm fence " which enclosed the " cuppen." The top rails 
were withdrawn from the fence and inserted between the lower 
rails which form " the worm " of the several panels, and the 
crowd was then invited to seat themselves upon these rails 
where they could rest their backs against the fence. The 
justice, in his shirt sleeves, sat himself upon the front board 
of a " steer kyart " which stood under the pine tree. As soon 
as he steadied himself with his feet upon the tongue of the 
cart, the Court was in session and ready for business regard- 
less of a crier. 

The case was opened by the young Commonwealth attorney 
who stated that "the assault was made by wilfully and 



186 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

maliciously casting upon the garments which the plaintiff 
then wore, upon his head and body, the contents of a " soak 
bucket/' in which a painter used to soak his brushes. He de- 
claimed in earnest voice upon the respect due an officer of the 
law, and called upon the constable to exhibit the hat and coat 
which he wore upon the occasion of the assault. The hat — an 
old time straight sided beaver — showed up like a barber's 
pole, with alternate streaks of red, white and red, and red, 
v.'hite and blue paints upon it. The colors on the coat were 
so closely blended and widely spread about as to unfit that 
garment for future wear. 

The defendant was not represented by a legal attorney, but 
trusted to his assembled friends, one of whom was the brother 
ot the former Commonwealth's attorney, and because of this 
close kinship alone, he was accredited with much knowledge 
of law. He bravely and vigorously maintained his suddenly 
acquired fame as a " horseback lawyer," by interrupting and 
correcting the prosecution as frequently as opportunity 
offered, but his greatest success was made when the young 
attorney proceeded to quote from his copy of " Blackstone." 
At once objection was made to quoting " Blaclcstone on the 
laivs of Virginia," and the Court was told that " everybody in 
the county knows that Blaclcstone is no lawyer, but only the 
keeper of a summer resort on Blackstone's Island, up the 
Potomac Elver, on the Maryland side," and the Court was 
appealed to for confirmation of this fact. To this the justice 
assented, as he had often passed Blackstone's Island in his 
trips up and down the Potomac while on his way to and from 
town. 

The young prosecuting attorney was too much dazed by this 
unlocked for and sudden turn in the case to discover the 
humor in it, and before he could recover his wits and make 
reply, the attention of the justice was called to the fact that 
his wife was making frantic efforts to drive back six young, 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 187 

lively shoats which had broken loose from their pen, and were 
working destruction in the young corn patch. Here was the 
golden opportunity for the defendant and his friends, and 
after a hasty whispering, they suggested to the Justice that he 
adjourn court awhile and they would " run the shoats down 
and pen them." To this proposition he thankfully agreed. 
Fearing that the prosecution might benefit by their absence, 
they appointed one of their number to aid the justice in build- 
ing anew the pig pen, and shedding their coats, they gave 
chase to the fleety shoats. Of all the domestic animals with 
which man is blessed, or distressed, there are none so difficult 
to catch and hold, as young, healthy shoats when loose in a big 
level field. It is said " they can beat a streak of greased light- 
ning in zigzagging," and are as difficult to lay hold of as the 
Irishman's proverbial flea. After repeated trials to corner 
and capture all six shoats at once, the crowd finally centered 
their chase upon one animal at a time, and after numerous 
upsets, and tumbles over one another, and amusing slips of 
" tail holds," the six shoats were at last landed within the pen 
by the perspiring crowd amid the grateful acknowledgments 
of his honor, the justice, who was not aware of the fact that 
the men had done more damage to the young corn than did 
the shoats. 

As it was then late in the afternoon, and all parties to the 
trial were several miles from their respective homes, it was 
suggested to the justice that the case be postponed until some 
more convenient date. To this the obliging magistrate 
readily agreed, much to the disgust and annoyance of the 
prosecution, and thus ended one of the trials before a justice 
of the peace during Eeconstruction days, in one of the coun- 
ties of the " Northern Xeck of Virginia." The young " car- 
pet bag " Commonwealth attorney, when the State was re- 
admitted into the Union, returned to his western home, and 
was last heard of as a candidate on the Democratic ticket for 



188 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Commonwealth attorney. The old, obliging "scalawag" 
justice of the peace has long since passed to the Higher Court, 
and it is yet undecided whether the assault was accidental, or 
with malice aforethought. 

After the State was re-admitted. County Judges were 
elected by the legislature. In some instances they had more 
than one county within their jurisdiction. In the year 1904, 
the system was changed to a meeting once in every two 
months — six courts a year, under the jurisdiction of a Judge 
of the Circuit Court. 

The custom of holding court in each county every month 
was a great advantage to the people of Tidewater Virginia. 
As stated elsewhere, these several counties are intersected by 
numerous rivers, creeks, or coves, which extend far into their 
interiors, and divide the lands into peninsulas, great and 
small. Very few of these streams are crossed by bridges, or 
have regularly kept ferries, and can therefore be crossed only 
at their heads by long detours. Therefore, the county court 
days, and the " Court House Bounds " were most frequently 
selected as the more convenient times and places to meet the 
many with whom to transact business. 

The " Court House Bounds " is usually the largest village 
of a county, and generally contains at least one or two, or 
more taverns, several stores, and blacksmith, wheelright and 
harness shops. These conveniences, together with the busi- 
ness of the court, brought together vast assemblages of the 
inhabitants of the respective counties, and many others from 
the adjoining counties where they were sure to meet neigh- 
bors, friends and acquaintances from far and near. They 
came from all directions and in all kinds of vehicles, some 
afoot and many on horseback. 

On court days, the " Court House Bounds " looked like a 
cavalry camp. Many of the riders came there with their 
animals' noonday rations of ten bundles of fodder and six 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 189 

ears of corn tied behind their saddle. They " hitched " their 
horses or mules to the fences and " horse racks " in the vil- 
lage. In the summer months many of the negroes came to 
court in their bare feet, with their footwear slung over their 
shoulder, and when within sight of the " Bounds " would halt 
by the roadside and " shoe up." 

It was a holiday for the people generally, especially before 
planting time, in the spring, and after the harvests, in the 
fall. It was entertaining to a stranger to see this great 
assemblage of decent, orderly citizens, conducting their sev- 
eral transactions in the most quiet, deliberate manner, with- 
out show of haste, or nervousness, or disorder. Perhaps no- 
where else in America could such a sight be witnessed of gen- 
tlemanly order amongst all classes. 

This custom of meeting monthly was in practice from the 
earliest years of the settlement of the respective counties, and 
therefore was an important, time-honored factor in the busi- 
ness life of these people. While the business of the 
Court was being held inside the Court House, the "Court 
green" was occupied by the multitude assembled in 
small crowds throughout the whole village, some of whom 
were buying or selling their lands, timber, and other commo- 
dities, paying off old debts, or contracting new ones; others 
with more leisure were discussing important events, or telling 
yarns — humorously denoted as " swapping lies." 

Candidates for office met on these occasions and greeted the 
voters, and debated with one another in the Court House, if 
the business before the court was not too urgent to adjourn, 
and if so, the candidates were provided with an improvised 
platform of dry goods boxes, turkey coops, or barrels. Candi- 
dates readily accommodate themselves to any emergencies 
when seeking the suffrage of their fellow citizens. The im- 
provised platform was not always constructed with due regard 
to the avoirdupois of the occupant, or the tests to which he 



190 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

might put it, and there were numerous instances of amusing, 
though not fatal casualties resulting therefrom. During one 
of the exciting elections, a candidate of heavy weight was 
making his speech from the head of a whiskey barrel, 
across which was placed a narrow board for his safety. In his 
ardor to impress a certain fact upon his hearers, which he 
emphasized by the statement : "As sure as I stand upon this 

barrel ," and with this sentence unfinished, he leaped 

with both feet from the narrow plank upon the yielding 
barrel head, and disappeared " up to his neck in spirits " 
which the anxious crowd had hoped to put into their own 
necks, and to test in a more convivial manner. Through this 
awkward incident of his canvas, he lost his election, but 
thereby acquired fame as " Old Soak,'' which name ever after- 
wards identified him. A Virginia audience listens well, is 
courteous to strangers, and appreciative of humorous wit or 
salient points of speech, even though it be at their own ex- 
pense. They love to " see the fur fly." 

The following lines express the sentiments of a freedman 
voter : 

LOOKIN' FO' DE CANDEEDATB. 

Jes' befo' de 'lection 

He cum soon an' late. 
Now I'se gittin' lonesome 

Waitin' at de gate. 
Mistuh! can yo' tell me 

Whar is dat Can-dee-date? 

Hope de Lawd will spar' him, 
His talk was powerful great. 

I 'spect he'll do a heap 
Now fo' dis ol' state. 

Mistuh! please do tell me 

Whar is dat Can-dee-date? 

Public vendues (auctions) were held out in the open court 
green, where horses, oxen, mules, cows, and "busted mer- 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 191 

chants' " goods were bid upon by the many, and but few of 
whom knew their intrinsic value. Auction bids are seldom 
correct indexes of values. Suits of clothing were purchased 
on these occasions without oj^portunity to "try the fit/' and 
therefore without due regard to the size of the contemplated 
wearers, the result of which was that the purchaser of a suit 
of vendue clothing attended the following Court in a coat he 
could not button around him, and a pair of "high water 
pacts," too short by many inches. 

" Swapping " horses is a custom which is almost exclu- 
sively confined to the rural sections of the United States. 
This custom prevails to a greater extent in the States south 
of Mason and Dixon's line than elsewhere. In the sections of 
Virginia remote from a railroad, nearly every man, white 
and colored owns either a horse, or mule, or yoke of 
steers, and the majority of the owners will make a swap of 
either animal, if good opportunity offers. 

" The swapping " was conducted usually in the tavern 
"horse lot," after some "sharp talk," and a few gallops of 
the animals, up the road and back again. A wily " swapper " 
from an adjoining county, would ride through the " Court 
House Bounds" upon his "new, jaunty tail, frislcy hoss," 
that betokened "go in him," and "hard to hold." Such a 
swapper was sure to attract the attention of the younger 
owners of horses. None but the poor animal, and its shrewd 
rider knew that a dried chestnut burr under the crupper was 
the main cause of its f riskiness, and if a " swap " were made 
and the dried chestnut burr were shed, the animal's sudden 
loss of friskiness, and an inspection of his mouth, would dis- 
close the fact that he had " cut his eye teeth " many moons 
antedating the birth of his new owner. The loser in a horse 
swap at one court was a winner at the next court, else he had 
made such a "bad swap" that it "broke him up." Every 
young horse owner, at some time or another, is desirous to 



192 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

make a swap. The earlier in life he makes the swap and 
" gets stuck good " the more he may profit in after years by 
this experience. The " Court House Bounds " on a court day, 
is a good place for the young swapper to begin, for there he is 
sure to meet with friends who will do for him that which his 
newly swapped horse may refuse to do — carry him home. 

It is said there are tricks in all trades, and a few in horse 
swapping. Here are some of the tricks of unscrupulous 
traders. To make a true pulling horse balk, mix corrosive 
sublimate and tincture of cantharides and apply it to his 
shoulders. To make a sound horse appear lame, a single hair 
is taken from his tail and run through the eye of a needle; 
the front leg is lifted, the skin pressed between the middle and 
outer tendon, and the needle shoved through. The horse will 
go lame in twenty minutes. To make a horse stand by his 
food and not eat it, grease his front teeth with tallow, and he 
will not eat until it is washed out. A fine wire fastened tight 
around the fetlock between the foot and heel will make a 
horse appear as if badly foundered. When a horse goes dead 
lame in one shoulder, it is disguised by creating a similar 
lameness in the corresponding leg by taking off the shoe and 
inserting a bean between it and the foot. Black spots are put 
on a horse by applying a mixture of lime and litharge. To 
put a star on a horse, a piece of cotton cloth the size of the 
star desired, is spread on the part and warm pitch applied. 
After two days it is washed until the hair grows out white. 

Court day was a holiday for many of the negroes, especially 
for those living nearby the Court House village. The young 
negroes had no serious cares for the future, and therefore en- 
joyed themselves in wrestling, and kicking bouts, and in 
dancing " Juba patted tunes," and keeping step to the lively 
" hoe down " tunes played upon a jewsharp. "" 

The elderly and thrifty negroes — some of whom their 
masters permitted to " fish for themselves " — brought fresh 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 193 

fish, oysters, and chicken to supply the hungry crowds. 
Their wives did the cooking in the open Court House green, 
upon a fire of dry " light wood knots " and faggots which they 
carried in ox carts from their homes for the occasion. Every 
Court was attended by several " black mammies," who came 
in " steer kyarts," loaded up with fish " jes' fum de watah dia 
mawnin'." 

Oysters fresh from their watery beds : " I 'clar suh, dey 
didn't hav' time to dry darselves 'fore I fotch 'em yere." 
They had young tender chickens " dress'd by can'el light dia 
mawnin', so nice dar mammys wouldn't know 'em suli." 

" Cose I fix yo' one !" " Honey, yo' sot yo'se'f down on 
dat box dar, an' yo' won't stahve to death waitin' w'ile I'se 
fryin' dis yere one fo' yo'. Does yo' laik ash cake or co'n 
pone wid yo' chicken? "We mos' in gin'ral eats ash cake wid 
our fried chicken, an' an' co'n pone wid our b'iled wittles. 
Yas suh ! Dats de way ol' Missus she fotch us up suh !" 

" It's heap o' wuck to raise chickens ; dey needs lots oT 
nussin' 'fore dey's able to care fo' deirselves. Dey has a 
sight o' pips, an' gapes, an' wums a troublin' 'em. We moa* 
in gin'ral makes 'em swaller dar pips, an' den dey won't hev* 
gapes so bad. An' yo' got to watch out fo' dem prowlin' 
ornary chicken hawks w'at flies 'bout in de yair, an' pounces 
down 'pon de little ones 'fore yo' 'spects dey's any whar's 
'bout yo' place. Wen dey grabs a chicken, 'taint no use fo' 
de ol' hen to make a racket, kase dat chicken's sho' gone fum 
'bout yere. 

" My ol' man Isaac he fixes contraptions to skeer de hawks, 
but. Honey, dey aint no good, dem hawks cum an' sot down 
an' res' darselves right dar on top o' Isaac's fixins laik it war 
made fo' dem to res' on. Ef Isaac evah seed one o' dem 
hawks a settin' dar, I 'spect he'd cuss ef he warn't a church 
member, kase he's mighty easy upsot." 

The rumor that the dry goods box, which an obliging 
13 



194 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

storekeeper loaned for the occasion as a " dining table," was 
covered with "Aunt Tilda's " clean^ bed sheet, in lieu of a 
table cloth, did not appear to diminish her trade. The food 
and cooking of these " black mammies " was excellent. They 
were patronized by white and colored. 

Crime and commerce are the principal subjects which 
bring business to all courts. Owing to the general orderly 
condition of its people, the courts have few cases of crime 
upon their dockets, and seldom are these of a seriously 
vicious character. 

During the first few years after the Civil War, there was 
some petty pilfering by a few of the negroes. They would 
take a few fowls, or a " turn of fodder " or corn, or some 
trifling amount of food to tide them over some " resting 
spell," during the period they were determining whether 
freedom meant all play or some labor. The white people who 
suffered from these annoyances were generally lenient when 
the culprit was detected and often would go bail for the re- 
lease and future good behavior of the prisoner. Some of the 
magistrates' trials of these offences were amusing instances 
of the simplicity of Tidewater Virginia justice, and of the 
kindly, forbearing nature of the whites toward the colored 
during these years. 

A certain negro named " Major " — no one ever knew him 
by any other name — was haled before a magistrate for steal- 
ing a turkey, and when confronted with the evidence of his 
guilt, the magistrate said: " AVell ioy, (forty years old,) 
what have you to say about this?" to which Major replied: 

*'Jedge, it happen'd dis yere way. I was tukken down 
wid a misery in ma side, an' I wa'nt able to go to cuttin' no 
co'd wood laik I'd bin a doin', an' jus as I wuz a gwine to de 

sto' to ax Mistuh B to lemme hav' a few poun's o' 

bacon 'twill I gits rid o' de misery in ma side, an' den as I 
cums pas' Mistah C 's cuppen fence dar sot dis yere 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 195 

young turkey right dar, suh, and I sez to mase'f, ef de Lawd 

spars me I shore gwine cut Mistuh C a co'd an' a ha'f uv 

good wood fo' dis yere tukkey. Dat's Jes' wat I say, I aint 
tellin' yo' no lie, suh. I suttinly will wo'k out dat tukkey, 
shore's I live. Wen I tuk dat tukkey I didn't hav' grease 
enuff in ma cabin to grease a spider. I don et it all up 'fore 
I seed dat tukkey. Dat's how cum I talk dat tukkey. I clar 
'fore de Lawd dis is de fust time I evah was kotched takin' 
tukkey in ma life." 

Major's bail for future apearance at court when called and 
for his future good behavior, was fixed at a small sum, and 
an old ex-Confederate soldier — who knew that turkeys roost- 
ing on a nearby fence are great temptations — joined in the 
bond, and Major was again a free man and his future trial 
was never fixed. He " jined " the church, and ever after was 
an orderly citizen. In recognition of his future good be- 
havior, the writer loaned him a newly painted wheelbarrow — 
to which he had taken a great fancy — to wheel his child to 
'' 'tracted meetinV' some four or five miles distant. Thus it 
is that virtue receives its reward in Tidewater Virginia. 

The judges of the courts are selected from amongst the 
members of the local bar. They are usually natives of that 
section over which they have jurisdiction, and are therefore 
well informed as to the character of its people, and conver- 
sant with their daily modes of life. In the administration of 
justice, information of such character is an aid to a judge in 
tempering justice with mercy, especially if the Court has the 
heart lil^e unto a Tidewater Judge. All courts of law are 
hedged with technicalities more or less, but the people of this 
section, and the courts are more anxious to reach the truth of 
a legal problem by a just and righteous inquiry than through 
technicalities of law which may distort and pervert the ends 
of justice. 

There is a genteel, quiet dignity in the Virginia Judge, but 



196 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

it partakes nothing of the overwise, and solemn countenance 
which so often betokens the " man of law " in many other 
sections of the United States. " The judge " is one of the 
people's choice, and respected accordingly. When not in hia 
court "he is one of the people." In addition to his court 
duties he is frequently the owner of lands which claim his 
attention, and often his personal aid in their cultivation. 

The laws are administered in Virginia with the least degree 
of harshness, and to all classes alike. No taint of dishonor 
has ever been justly made against the judiciary of this section. 

The Tidewater Virginia Judge of the rural districts, is 
well-known and readily recognized by all persons, white and 
black, young and old, within his circuit, and when passing 
along the public highways, he is constantly being saluted by 
the passers-by as " Judge." 

To one accustomed to such familiar and friendly recogni- 
tion it is a shock for him to reach a place where he is totally 
unknown and the old-time friendly recognition ceases. 

One of those courtly Virginia judges, named C , 

from one of " The Peninsula " counties, had occasion to visit 
New York City, and upon his return to his native heath was 
asked how he liked the big city, to which he replied : 

New York City, suh ! I was there nearly two days, suh, 
and not a single person stopped to say " Howdy " to me, nor 
even recognized me. I want nothing more to do with such an 
uncivil place, suh ! I'm glad to be back amongst people who 
have tune and inclination to be decent." 

The lawyers and doctors of Virginia, outside of the 
cities, are usually land owners, and like the judges, they 
may be found with their hands to the plow, or in directing 
their employees where to " run the furrow." 

The country lawyer, and country doctor need to be generally 
well informed in their respective professions. The " special- 
ties " of law, or of physic in that section are not of sufficient 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 197 

magnitude as to induce one to confine himself to " special 
practice." The rural life, therefore, forces the practitioner 
to efforts "which city life does not demand. 

Country lawyers, and country doctors, unlike their city 
brothers, take active parts in the social and industrial condi- 
tions which surround them, and are, therefore, useful mem- 
bers in the life of their respective communities for advice, 
counsel, and aid in matters of import outside of their respec- 
tive schools of thought. 

The doctor seldom engages in political debate; he leaves 
that field open to his more combative brother of the bar. 
The doctor will draw blood only in the effort to save life. 
The lawyer will seek eye for eye, and tooth for tooth when hii 
client is wrathy and demands the Levitical law. 

The lawyers of America, especially those born and reared 
within the rural sections, and in the smaller towns, and who 
might be classed as " country lawyers," have taken prominent 
places in the councils of this nation from its foundation to 
the present day. They were signers of the Declaration of 
Independence, and many of them have filled the chair of the 
Chief Executive of this nation. 

Nearly every lawyer in Tidewater Virginia is a politician, 
at least to the extent of speech making for their political 
party. They are the class of men from amongst whom came 
Patrick Henry, Henry Clay, Henry A. Wise, and other 
orators, and statesmen, as well as jurists of historic renown. 
The lawyers frequent many county courts. They "ride the 
circuit" in search of business, and it is of frequent occur- 
rence that upon entering a distant court house, they may be 
engaged to take charge of a case in court without a moment's 
preparation, other than a hurried consultation, but their wide 
and extensive acquaintance with the people of all classes resi- 
dent within their practice, together with their general knowl- 
edge of law, are their aids in such emergencies. They are 



198 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

usually good judges of liuman nature, and can lay bare its 
frailties and weaknesses in open court with eloquent tongue. 
As a rule they reside at the court houses. 

The lawyer of early years of the colony was paid his fees in 
tobacco, and when he got a case in court, he probably tried to 
'" make things smoke." 

If the court session was prolonged until late in the evening, 
the members of the court and bar spent the night at the 
village tavern. 

Before the introduction of stoves — they were not in general 
use in the rural sections until several years after the Civil 
War — the big fire place of the tavern, which emitted bright 
and cheerful glows, was the scene of much comfort and en- 
joyment during the winter court nights. Then it was that 
the judge, the lawyers, the summoned jurymen, and officers 
of the court, and persons whose business detained them over 
night, assembled around the capacious hearth and engaged in 
friendly discussions, and relations of witty and humorous 
stories. Every Virginian is fond of a story, provided it is 
devoid of gross vulgarity. The lawyers are usually good 
story tellers, and it is said the judges of Virginia are able 
to hold their end up when occasion arises. It was rumored 
that the late hours of the nights spent at the tavern were often 
enlivened by " a gentleman's game " of draw-poker — played 
for sport and not for gain. 

It is said there is a chapel in Eome dedicated to one Saint 
Evona, a lawyer. He came to Eome to entreat the Pope to 
give the lawyers of Brittany a patron. The Pope replied 
that he knew of no saint but what was disposed of to other 
professions, and he had none to spare for the lawyers, at 
which Evona was very sad, and begged so earnestly that at 
last the Pope proposed to him that he should go around the 
church blindfolded, and after he had said so many prayers, 
that the first saint in the group which he might lay hold of 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATEE VIRGINIA 199 

while blindfolded, should be the patron of lawyers. The 
good old lawyer started in his round, and at the end of his 
prayers he stopped at an altar, reached out his hand and laid 
hold of the image of the devil which lay at the feet of St. 
Michael, and cried out in his blindness " This is our Saint ; 
let him be the patron of my profession — the law." Upon 
the removal of his blindfold, and observing what a patron he 
had chosen, he was shocked to death, and coming to Heaven's 
gate, he knocked hard, whereupon St. Peter asked " who it 
was that knocked so loudly ;" he replied that it was " Evona 
the advocate." " Away, away," said St. Peter, " there is but 
one advocate in Heaven; there is no room for you lawyers." 
" ! but," said Evona, " I am that honest lawyer who never 
took fees on both sides, or ever pleaded in a bad cause, nor did 
I ever set my neighbor by the ears, or lived by the sins of the 
people." "Well then," said St. Peter, "come in," and 
thereupon St. Peter sent an angel to the earth to inscribe 
upon the tombstone of St. Evona : 

" God works wonders now and then, 
Here lies a lawyer, an honest man." 

It is agreed that this epitaph is suited to Virginia lawyers. 

In 1643, the first act was passed for regulating lawyers. 
ISTo attorney was permitted to plead without a license, which 
was granted by the court in which he practiced. Their fees 
were twenty pounds of tobacco in the county courts, and fifty 
pounds in the Quarter Courts, and no attorney could refuse 
to be retained unless employed on the other side. 

In 1647, that act was amended by adding a clause to it 
declaring that no attorneys should take any fees, and if the 
Court should perceive that either party, by their weakness, 
was likely to lose his case, they themselves should either open 
the case " or appoint some fit man out of the people to plead 
the cause, and allow him a reasonable compensation." No 



300 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

other attorneys were admitted. This act was repealed in 
1650. 

Act of 1680 declared that " no licensed attorney should de- 
mand or receive for bringing any cause to judgment in the 
general court, more than 500 lbs. of tobacco and cask; and in 
the County Court, 150 lbs. of tobacco and cask; which fees 
are allowed him without any pre-agreement." " If any attor- 
ney shall refuse to plead any cause in the respective courts 
aforesaid, for the aforesaid fees, he shall forfeit as much as 
his fees should have been," 

The attorneys of those days could hardly "pocket their 
fees ;" they had to " bag them." 

In many of the counties are preserved curious wills and 
orders of Court. The following copy of a will for probate in 
York County, Virginia, in 1637, is interesting: 

" At a court holden att ye house of Mr. Richard Townsend ye 
25th day of May 1637. Present Capt. Christopher Wormsley, 
Capt. Robt. Fellgate, Mr. John Chew, Mr. Richard Townshend, 
Mr. John Cheeseman, Mr. Will Pryor, Mr. Hugh Owen. 

In the name of God Amen. This will and Testament being the 
last Will and Testament of Andrew Whorvell, made the tenth 
of March 1631, being in his perfect senses as ever he was in his 
life time. Witnesseth That I make Christopher Stokes my law- 
ful overseer to see that the tendure of this my will be performed 
as foUoweth — 

First. I bequeath my soul to Almighty God, my maker, and 
my body to be buryed in the Ground and for my worldly Wealth 
that itt hath pleased God to endow me with as followeth — 

Item. I give unto my brother Nathaniell Clarke one sow pig 
the whitch my father doth ov/e me and one Barrel of Corn when 
he is one and twenty years of age and two hens presently. 

Item. I give unto my Sister Bettie Clarke three barrels of 
Indian come and one puUett and one sow. 

Item. I give unto my father Joseph Jolly one bow pigg, and 
one barrow pigg. 

Item. I give unto my mother Margaret Jolly one barrow pigg. 

Item. The three barrels of Corne that I give unto my Sister 
Bettie Clarke is to be put to use till that she cometh to age and 



COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 201 

the SOW that I give her they that keep her till that she cometh 
to age are to have -of the increase all the bore piggs and the 
sow piggs to be putt to the best use till that she cometh of age. 
Witness my hand this day and year first above written. 

Andbew WhoeveIxL, his X mark." 

Will of Eichard Coles of Westmoreland, proved in 1674. 

Item. It Is my will and desire that my body be interred upon 
Poynt Pleasant, upon my plantation, in a neat coffin of black wal- 
nut, if conveniently be had, and that a grave stone of black marble 
be with all convenient speed sent for out of England, with my 
Coat of Arms engraven in brass, and under it this epitaph: 

Here lies Dick Cole, a grevious sinner, 
That died a little before dinner, 
Yet hopes in Heaven to find a place 
To satiate his soul with Grace. 

Item. I will that my grave stone be raised with Dutch brickes 
above three foot from the ground, and my grave be paled in 
with posts and rails of locust, and white oke boards of a double 
substance, and under them locust sills, and if my wife think it 
expedient to sell ye land that the vendee or vendees be obliged 
forever to keep my grave in repair." 

The following order, celebrating the birth of a Prince of 
Wales, in Old Rappahannock County, now Essex and Rich- 
mond counties, is interesting: 

"At a court held for Rappahannock County the 2d day of 
Jany Anno Dom, 1688. 

Present — Col. Jno. Stone, Capt. Geo. Taylor, Capt. Saml. Blum- 
field, Mr. Jno. Rice, Justices. 

It having pleased Almighty God to bless his Royal Majesty 
with the birth of a son and his subjects with a Prince of Wales, 
and for as much as his Excellency hath sett apart the 16th day 
of this inst. Jany, for solemnizing the same; To this end, there- 
fore, that it may be done with aU expression of Joy this county 
Is capable of. This Court have ordered that Capt. George Taylor 
do provide and bring to the North Side Court House for this 



202 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

County (now Richmond) as much Rum and other strong liquor, 
with Sugar proportionable, as shall amount to six thousand five 
hundred pounds of Tobacco, to be distriButed amongst the Troops 
of horse, company of foot and other persons that shall be pres- 
ent at the solemnitie, and that said sum be allowed him at the 
next laying of the levy; as also, that Cap. Saml. Blumfield provide 
and bring to the Sotith Side Court House fqr this County, (now 
Essex) as much Rum or other strong Liquor, with sugar propor- 
tionable, as shall amount to 3500 lbs. of Tobacco, to be distributed 
as above, at the South Side Court House and the said sum to be 
allowed him at the next laying of the levy." 

Note also the folloAving: 

" A court at James citty the 17 Sept. 1627 present Sir George 
Yeardley, Knt, Governor, Dr. Pott, Capt. Smyth and Mr. Secre- 
tary, Divers examinations being taken and had concerning the 
unquiett life wch ye people of Archers Hope lead through the 
scoldinges raleings and failings out wth Amy the wife of Christ- 
opher Hall and other abominable contencions happening between 
them to the dishonour of God and the breach of the Kings 
peace, the Court hath thereupon ordered that the said Amy shall 
be toughed (towed) round about the " Margarett and John " and 
ducked three times." 

The " Margaret and John " was a vessel anchored near 
Archers Hope, the place where the colony would have first 
settled upon but for the shallow waters near the shore. 

Some of the laws of the early days are also interesting: 

" The court in every county shall cause to be set up near 
the Court house, a pillory, a pair of stocks, a whipping post, 
and a ducking stool, in such place as they shall think con- 
venient." .... Laws of 1G62. 

" In actions of slander occasioned by a man's wife, after 
judgment passed for dam.ages the woman shall be punished 
by ducking, and if the slander be such as the damages shall 
be adjudged above 500 pounds of tobacco, then the woman 
shall have ducking for every 500 pounds of tobacco adjudged 
against her husband ; if he refuse to pay the tobacco." Laws 
of 1663. 



' COUNTY COURTS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 203 

Lord Culpeper, writing in 16S3 said the Secretary (of 
State) was a patent officer, from the first seating of the country, 
the very next in dignity to the Governor, or Commander-in- 
Chief. He had the right to appoint all County Clerics. He 
was keeper of the colonial seal and ex-officio clerk of the 
Council and General Court, though the duties of these offices 
were actually performed by the titular clerks of the respective 
bodies. The clerks of the courts in Tidewater Virginia are 
among the most competent and obliging of its officials, and 
mainly for these reasons are the less affected — of the county 
officers — by the political changes which occur at the regular 
elections. Many of them went into these offices as deputies 
to their fathers in their first years of manhood, and were con- 
tinued there as long as they lived. 

" Well done thou good and faithful servant " can truthfully 
be inscribed upon the tombs of the clerks of courts in Vir- 
ginia. 

The old time court house buildings which were usually but 
one story in height are being supplanted either by entirely 
new structures, or by additions to them of modern improve- 
ments and shapes, which in many cases have obliterated all 
semblance of their original style of architecture. The court 
rooms of the old time buildings were upon the first floor, 
large and airy in summer, and cold and draughty in winter. 
In the improved buildings, the court rooms are generally 
situated upon the upper floors, which are well lighted and 
heated, and comfortable during all seasons. The walls of 
some of the court rooms are decorated with tablets of stone 
and portraits, containing the names and services of local offi- 
cials; they also contain the portraits of many distinguished 
men of both state and national fame, who were born within 
these several counties, or who made their homes therein dur- 
ing a period of their lives. 

The judicial circuit presided over by Hon. Judge T. R. B. 
Wright, which comprises the counties of Lancaster, Northum- 



204 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

berland, Eichmond, and "Westmoreland, in the "JSTorthern 
ISTeck " peninsula, and the county of Essex, in the " Middle- 
sex " peninsula, contains the largest collection of tablets and 
portraits perhaps, of any circuit in the State. The collections 
within this circuit include Presidents of the United States, 
Cabinet officers of the Chief Executive, Judges, Jurists, and 
Statesmen of renown. There are also portraits of distin- 
guished soldiers of every war in which the nation has been a 
participant, from the Eevolutionary to the Civil War. 

Among the more prominent portraits are those of George 
Washington, and Eobert E. Lee, upon the walls of Westmore- 
land Court House. 

Eoger Jones, Adjutant General of the United States Army, 
and Edwin Bates, Attorney General in President Lincoln's 
Cabinet, are found upon the walls of Northumberland Court 
House. 

Upon the walls of Essex Court House are many tablets of 
stone containing the names of soldiers of the Confederacy, 
among whom are several of Pickett's famous Division. 
Among the portraits is that of Hon. E. M. T. Hunter, a dis- 
tinguished member of the United States House of Eepresen- 
tatives for many years, and a member of the United States 
Senate from his native State (Virginia) when the Civil War 
began. Whilst a member of Congress, he originated the 
bonded warehouse system, under which imported goods were 
permitted to remain in Government warehouses until the 
owners desired to put them upon the market, paying the duties 
at the time of withdrawal. He was a prominent candidate for 
the Presidency in 1860. When Virginia seceded, he resigned 
-his seat in the Senate and was afterwards Secretary of State 
of the Confederacy in President Davis' Cabinet. He was one 
of the three Confederate Commissioners appointed by Presi- 
dent Davis to treat for peace with President Lincoln and 
Secretary Seward at the Fortress Monroe Convention. In 
1874 he was elected Treasurer of Virginia. He died in 
Essex County, July 18, 1887. 




Stratford, Birthplace of General R. E. Lee. 

The room in which he was born is indicated by the open window to the right. 



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Sherwood Forest, home of President Tyler. 



CHAPTEE XVIII 
Country Roads in Tidewater Virginia. 



When the colonists reached Virginia there were no roads, 
public or private, laid out upon this continent. There was 
no necessity for such openings through the lands and forests 
of America as are now known as public roads or highways. 
The Indians trafficked only in such articles as they could 
shoulder. They did not know the use of metals and there- 
fore had no weighty material to transport such as at the pres- 
ent day, and if necessity arose for roadways they had no im- 
plements with which to construct them. They were content 
to march in single file when journeying. They had no draft 
animals, nor vehicles for carriage or transportation other than 
boats, many of which were constructed of material so light in 
weight as to admit of their portage from stream to stream 
upon the shoulders of men. 

When the colonists extended their settlements into the in- 
teriors of the peninsulas, away from the navigable streams, 
and when public places were established, such as churches, 
court houses, and grist mills, there arose a necessity for roads, 
but such roads as were constructed in the early years of the 
settlement, though their construction was forced by acts of 
assembly, were, nevertheless, nothing more than bridle 
paths. 

Act. L, 1632 provided : " Highwayes shall be layd out in 
such convenient places as are requisite accordinge as the 
Governor and Council, or the Commissioners for the monthlie 
corts shall appoynt, or according as the parishioners of every 
parish shall agree." 

Act IX, 1657 provided for surveyors of " High Waise." 
[205] 



206 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

" That surveyors of highwaise and maintenance for bridges be 
yearly kept and appointed in each Countie Court respectively, 
and that all generall wayes from county to county and all 
churchwaies to be laid out and cleared yeerly as each county 
court shall think fit, needful and convenient, respect being 
had to the course in England to that end." 

In 1661 Act LXXXIX, provided for the yearly appoint- 
ment of surveyors of the highways by the justices of the peace 
to "lay out the most convenient wayes to the church, to the 
court, and make the said wayes 40 foote broad, and make 
bridges where there is occasion." 

The surveyors were also directed to keep the " wayes " 
clear from fallen logs, and the bridges in good repair. They 
were empowered " to order the parishioners everyone accord- 
ing to the number of tithables he hath in his family, to send 
upon the dayes by the surveyors appointed to help them in 
cleering the wayes and making and repairing the bridges 
according to the intent and purpose of this act." There were 
penalties attached payable in tobacco for neglect to perform 
these duties. 

Building roadways through the primeval forests, and over 
low bottom lands, and marshy grounds, and bridging numer- 
ous streams, was a mighty laborious undertaking at the early 
period of Virginia's settlement, especially if this task were to 
be done by the single individual and not by the collective 
community. 

As a matter of fact, each seating place of a jJlanter when 
first settled upon was devoid of any passageway or roadway 
to or from his home in the primeval wilderness connecting 
him with the outside world, and because of the gigantic task 
of road building many of the settlers postponed this work, 
thus placing their homes remote from all intercourse with the 
public highways and beyond the reach of their fellow man. 
So common was this condition that the general assembly 
deemed it necessary to enact laws compelling the opening of 
roads to " houses and plantations," 



COUNTRY ROADS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 307 

Such was Act V, 16 G 7, " For Eoades to Houses." 

" Whereas the despatch of business in this countrey is much 
obstructed for want of bridlewayes to the several houses and 
plantations: It is enacted by this grand assembly and the 
authority thereof, that every person haveing a plantation 
shall, at the most plaine and convenient path that leads to his 
house make a gate in his ffence for the convenience of passage 
of man and horse to his house about their occasions at the 
discretion of the owners." 

In 1705, there was passed an act for constructing roads "to 
and from city of Williamsburg, the court house of ever}' 
county, the parish churches, and such public mills and ferries 
as now are, or hereafter shall be erected, and from one county 
to another county, at least 30 ft. wide." All male tithables 
when called upon by the surveyor were to assist in the work. 

The condition of the public roads of Tidewater Virginia 
were never a source of very grave anxiety to its people until 
very recent years. So long as there was a hard spot in the 
road to straddle upon, or a rut so shallow that its bottom was 
within reach of the cart-hub, the repairing of the road was 
postponed. 

This condition was owing mainly to the fact that the largest 
shipment of agricultural products, were usually from the 
wealthier planters located convenient to some stream where 
a vessel or lighter could be reached by a short haul. Many 
planters had vessel landings upon their own lands. The 
farmers located at the greater distance from rivers or creeks, 
were generally the less wealthy class. Their main products 
for shipment were such as " could walk off "—horses, mules, 
cows, calves, yearlings, steers, hogs and sheep. What corn or 
wheat they raised was consumed at home, or trafficked with 
neighbors who were engaged in occupations other than tilling 
the soil. 

Including the high and dry and level areas, there are hun- 



208 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

dreds of miles of the roads throughout that whole section 
which need no work upon them other than to trim out the in- 
truding bushes, which, if left to thrive, would eventually nar- 
row the roadway beyond usage. The hills and the soft bottom 
places in the " low grounds " have ever been a source of much 
labor to keep in good order. 

The public highways of Virginia were formerly worked 
by the inhabitants living within the several road precincts, 
who were "called upon the road" by the overseer of the 
roads, an elective officer who was empowered by law to sum- 
mon the residents of his district to work the roads a certain 
number of days during each twelve months. Those who 
failed to put in an appearance when called, either sent a 
substitute or paid a certain sum of money to the road-fund. 
This mode of repairing roads was unsatisfactory, and they 
are now worked by contract and paid for by a road-tax fund. 

Owing to the fact that many of the road-beds are composed 
of sand or clay, with few or no stones or gravel, the heavy 
rains rapidly form deep gulleys on the sand hills, or quag- 
mires on the clay hill roads. 

There are hundreds of thousands of acres of Tidewater 
Virginia lands that do not contain a stone large enough to 
" chunk a squirrel." 

Clay hills and boggy bottoms are usually corduroyed for 
want of better material. A corduroy road is made by laying 
a bed of poles across it, side by side, and covering them 
slightly with soil. In the event of rains washing the soil 
from the poles, the vehicle traveling over such road is jostled, 
bumped, and jerked across a small pole, and against a larger 
one alternately, with an up and down and sidewise motion, 
like a small boat in a "choppy sea." A fractious horse 
driven on a dark night down a steep corduroy hill road, after 
a heavy rain storm, is apt to alarm the driver lest he be 
thrown upon his head ; it will at least force him to make un- 
complimentary remarks about the road overseer. 




Foot Bridge Over "Flag; Pond Run." 




A Winding Hill Road of Tidewater. 



COUNTEY ROADS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 209 

There are many small streams — "Euns" — crossing the 
roads, which are not bridged. During very heavy rains, these 
streams widen out suddenly, and cover the road bed, and the 
surrounding lowlands, with a wave of water which greatly 
confuses the stranger on a dark night, and may put him in a 
plight of " landing up the creek " in some boggy, oozy bottom 
to sink beyond the sound of Gabriel's horn. Even though it 
be a dark night, an experienced traveler will discover by the 
movements of his horse's feet when the animal leaves "hard 
bottom," and by a speedy pull of the proper rein, may save 
himself from a muddy grave. 

Some of the " Euns " between low banks are narrow, and 
during heavy rains, wash out " chuck holes " across the roads, 
which are at least alarming to the stranger traveler in a 
dense piney woods road when the stars are hidden by lowering 
clouds. Meeting one of such places, his horse and vehicle, 
without warning, suddenly plunges through the darkness with 
an abrupt jolt into the water almost out of sight — he imagines. 
At this stage of his journey, the traveler is undetermined 
whether he kept the " straight road," as directed — notwith- 
standing its many twists and turns — or whether he is on his 
way across some deep mill pond, or navigable stream whose 
pitying waters may wash his remains to its distant shores, to 
form a fit subject for the " coroner to sit on," and determine 
whether the "stranger committed suicide," or was waylaid 
and dropped in the stream. Before he has located himself, 
or determined in his mind as to where his remains may be 
found, his horse gives a snort and a bound, and carries vehicle 
and traveler on dry ground. Just then he forgets his former 
peril in giving vent to his former nervousness by saying 
something about the people in that neighborhood being " too 
lazy to mend the roads." 

It is frequently found that a dam across a mill pond is 
used as a public road. Many such dams are winding, and 
14 



210 LIFE IlSr OLD VIRGINIA 

thus obstruct the view of the road from end to end, and such 
road beds are often too narrow to admit of vehicles passing 
each other upon the dam. 

Before the Civil War,, very many persons, male and female, 
rode horseback, and thus could shun the worst parts of the 
road. The more wealthy rode in their family coach; the 
doctors and law^^ers used gigs, a two wheeled vehicle now 
entirely out of usage. 

A clipping from " The Free Lance," a newspaper published 
in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, shows the condition 
of some of the public roads at the present day. 

"DUNNSVILLE, ESSKX CoUNTY, Oct. 23, 1906. 

The roads are continued mud holes, and the creeks swollen 
above the bridges over them. The water was nearly knee deep 
on Ware's creek bridge Saturday, and the cause-way leading to 
it almost past fording. Trible swamp, on the road from Dunns- 
ville to Cox's store, is a menace to life and limb, and should be 

bridged at once. Mr. E. M. W , Jr., reports that the water 

was up to his buggy body even before the last heavy rain. With 
such conditions before us at this season, what may we expect 
the roads to be by Christmas, and for patience sake, what In 
February? 

The mail driver from Tappahannock to Walkerton had to 
Bwim his horse today, and the same may be said of the driver 
from Dunnsville to Daisy." 

Deep sandy roads during a dry spell are as tedious and 
tiresome to travel through as would be a deep bed of snow. 
Eoads of this character are sometimes corduroyed. 

The roads containing the deepest sand beds are more fre- 
quently found in the interior of the peninsulas, remote from 
the navigable streams. There is one such noted place in 
Caroline County, humorously niclaiamed " Sandy Lane." A 
traveler passing through that section asked an old negro resi- 
dent whom he met on a hot summer's day, laboriously plod- 
ding through its deep, dry sands; " How come so much sand 
here, Uncle ?" 



COUNTRY ROADS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 211 

" Well, Boss," said he, " I've hearn it happen'd dis yere 
way : On de Saturd'y evenin' w'en de worl' wnz mos' finish'd 
dar wuz a right smaht heap o' san' lef ovah dat w'ant no use, 
an' de Lawd He say to Hisse'f, 'I mus' iin' a place fur dis yere 
heap o' san'; an' w'en He look down 'pon de yearth, he spied 
a right smaht big hole right yere. Well, suh, dey say de 
Lawd sot up all dat Saturd'y night shuv'lin' san' right yere 
in Sandy Lane, an' w'en Sund'y mornin' cum. He wuz tired 
an' He say to Hisse'f ' I mus' take a res' dis day shore.' I 
tells yo' Boss, ef it hadn't bin fo' Sandy Lane in ol' Kal-line 
County, de wite folks would a wucked us poh niggahs seben 
days in ev'ry week, an' dar wouldn't bin no Sund'y but fo' 
Sandy Lane. Dat's how cum Sund'y 'pinted de day to res' 
yo'se'f. Thank de Lawd fo' Sandy Lane." 

Wliere the public roads lead across rivers and deep creeks, 
they are crossed in many places by means of " flat boats," 
which are propelled by a rope stretched across the stream 
from bank to bank, and fastened to stakes or logs embedded 
in the earth. The flat boats have two parallel upright stand- 
ards at either end, and some of them a wheel or block be- 
tween the standards upon which the rope " travels " as the 
boat is pulled from shore to shore. 

To permit a ready entrance of vehicies and animals into the 
boat, it is provided with an " apron " at either end. The 
aprons are hinged platforms attached to the ends of the boat, 
and projecting outward from the ends several feet. When 
the boat reaches the shore, the outer side of the apron is low- 
ered until it reaches the earth, thus affording a gradually in- 
clining passage to and from the boat. While crossing the 
stream, the aprons, are held up above the water by means of 
" sweep poles " run through rings upon each of the outer sides 
of the aprons, and through other rings upon the floor of the 
boat. The aprons are swung, as it were, upon the ends of the 
sweep. 



212 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

On the country roads of Tidewater Virginia, no one passes 
another without some show of courtesy, or familiar recogni- 
tion. Acquaintances exchange greetings by inquiry about 
each other's health, and that of their families, and engage in 
discussing the latest important or interesting event relative to 
their section, state or nation. This takes time, but every 
Tidewater Virginian has time always for courtesies. The 
negroes, during slavery, when meeting the whites raised their 
hats, bowed and politely replied " Sarvint, suh." 

It was ill bred manners to overtake and drive past another 
vehicle containing ladies or gentlemen without making some 
apology. There is good reason for this courtesy, especially 
during dry weather, because the roads during that period are 
stifling with fine dust which is readily started into motion 
from a passing vehicle. 

The customary rule of the road is to pass to the right. 
This rule is observed wherever practical. 

There are hundreds of miles of the public highways too 
narrow to admit two vehicles going in opposite directions, 
to pass each other in the beaten path of travel. If two such 
vehicles meet on a level spot " it is easy," as one or the other 
can " take to the woods," or bushes ; if they meet upon a nar- 
row hill road between steep banks, then "comes the tug of 
war." 

Virginians never took time to form proper width roadbeds 
over the hills, where most needed. In many places where the 
hills are crossed, the road beds are but wide enough between 
steep banks for one vehicle to pass. When two vehicles meet 
upon such a place, the one going down the hill has the right 
of way by custom. The one coming up the hill must back 
down to where the road is sufficiently wide to permit of pass- 
ing. Such contingencies are the only instances in which a 
Tidewater Virginia gentleman will consent to back down. 

There are not many country roads in Virginia which have 



COUNTKY ROADS IX TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 213 

continuous miles of "straight travel;" many of them are as 
crooked as the streams to which they lead. 

The numerous rivers, creeks and other inland streams found 
there, together with the hills, which are always ascended by 
the roundabout, and not the straightest grade, make it diffi- 
cult, if not impossible to construct straight roads. 

Neither are the public highways always indicated to the 
traveler by the show of " well worn roads." There are many 
localities where the main highways indicate signs of less usage 
than do the private roads to some saw mill, or "timber get- 
ters' " or cord wood choppers' camps. Where the public and 
private roads of this character join, it is a puzzle to determine 
one from the other, as there are so many instances in which 
the public roads are substituted by short cuts through the 
woods to avoid bad places. Where the public highways form 
" forked," or " cross roads," they crook and bend into one 
another with such suddenness and mystiftcation that the 
traveler is at a loss to determine whether he is coming from, 
or returning to his first starting point by some more direct 
route — he almost meets himself coming back. There are 
sign board posis at nearly all forked, or cross roads, and but 
few of them have sign boards, and these few are pointed either 
upward or downward — suggestive only of the direction in 
which the righteous and the unrighteous must eventually go. 
In such contingencies, the traveler should retrace his steps to 
the nearest dwelling house, even though it be a mile or two, 
where he is sure to find the people, white and colored, very 
courteous and obliging when directing a traveler, but he will 
most likely be told to " keep the straight road," regardless of 
his destination. 

In some of the counties bordering on the Chesapeake Bay, 
nearly every other man resident, whether he be the owner of 
a " dugout " — a canoe dug out of a single log — or the master 
of a coasting schooner, has the title of " Captain." There 



214 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

are other less numerous titles, such as Major and Colonel. 
Some of these latter titles were deservedly won in the Civil 
War, and others are reminders of the patrols and militia of 
days " Bef o' de Wah." Those with titles are best known by 
their abbreviated Christian name, and are thus spoken of and 
addressed by even their most intimate friends. Captain 
Patrick Henry Clay is known and addressed only as Captain 
Pat Clay. 

A stranger to these customs, asked an old time negro where 
Mister Patrick Henry Clay lived : 

" Deed I dunno Boss ! No sich gentleman named dat 
livin' bout yere as I knows of. Is he a white gentleman or a 
colored gentleman?" 

Upon being asked if there were any persons named Clay 
living in that neighborhood, he replied : 

" Plenty uv 'em, suh ! Plenty uv 'em. Captain Pat Clay 
lives across de crick yonda. Ef I had ma dugout I'd take yo' 
dar 'dreckly, but ef yo' has to go roun' de head uv de crick, I 
dunno w'en yo' gits dar, kase it's right smaht ways, an' de 
wust road in de county." " Well, I tells yo' how yo' gits dar. 
Keep de straight road 'twell yo' comes to a " new cut " road. 
Do'an yo' turn in dar, kase dat aint de road yo' takes. W'en 
yo' gits right smaht ways fum dat place whar yo' sees de new 
cut road, yo' keeps de straight road pas' Captain Jim Lanes 
"wintah cuppen" (cowpen) ; it's right in de pines whar he 
shelter his cattle in the wintah time. Den yo' turn dar an' 
keep de straight road 'twell yo' gits to a pole gate made outen 
pine saplin's. Do'an yo' go in dar, kase dat whar Captain 
Tom Jinkins live. Den yo' keep de straight road 'twell yo' 
comes to a big sycamore, right smaht size, an' straight down 
de road fum dar is a right smaht skirt o' pines, some on 'em 
right smaht size an' yuther ones jes' young saplin's, kase dar 
whar de saw mill war las' year, an' dey cut all de bes' timber 
outen dar 'fore dey move de mill. Dey suttinly mus' use a 



COUNTRY ROADS IN TIDEAVATER VIRGINIA 215 

heap o' timber in town, kase dat mill wuz a sawin' mos' night 
an' day, an' dey sont ev'ry blessed stick o' dat timber to town, 
an' dey axed fo' mor'." 

" Wen yo' gits oiiten dat clearin' whar de saw mill war, yo* 
comes in sight o' Captain Ned Daingerfields house, right down 
on the crick sho'. Den de nex' house yo' sees straight down 
de crick sho,' yo' knows it's Captain Pat Clays. I 'spect he's 
de gentleman yo' is lookin' fo'. Wen yo' gits to his gate, 
you'd bettah holler, kase he keeps a passul uv de wust houn' 
dogs yo' evah seed, an' dey aint got no use fo' a niggah 
laik me." 

Many of the roadsides of the cultivated lands present the 
appearance of hedges, as the fences are hidden from view by 
pretty cedar trees, and chinquopin, sassafras, holly, dogwood, 
and sumac bushes, intermingled with wild grape, Virginia 
creeper, honeysuckle, and trumpet vines. The seeds of these 
trees, bushes, and vines are carried to the fences by the birds 
which alight upon the rails with the seeds in their beaks, and 
there drop them. Many of the division fences between the 
fields, are also lined with cedar trees, the seeds of which were 
also carried there by birds. As there is " land a plenty," the 
fields are seldom cultivated close to the fences, and these 
several growths are therefore left undisturbd to thrive. What 
is known as the " worm fence " was most commonly in use. 
It was formed of pine, oak, or chestnut split rails, or poles 
placed one upon another in the form of an elongated, endless 
capital W. It is said a Virginia worm fence might be made 
of rails " too crooked to lie still." 

A claimant for trespass upon his fenced land was obliged to 
prove his fence was " pig tight, steer high, eight rails and a 
rider." 

Many of the counties now have what is known as a "no 
fence law," that is, no one need fence against trespass of other 
persons' stock as liability follows for trespass upon unfenced 
lands. 



216 LIPE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

One can travel for continuous miles through sections of 
wooded lands, and find the country roads lined upon both 
sides with young, and old timber, and so dense may be the 
growth that only a vista of the Heavens may be seen. 

More than half the land surface of Tidewater Virginia is 
covered with timber, the greater part of which is pine of 
every species, except white, and Norway pine. 

A dense pine forest is usually clear of other undergrowth, 
and therefore presents much more the appearance of a city 
park than an uncultivated wild woods. It is also one of the 
most quiet places upon earth, as the foliage of the pine makes 
no rustling sound when agitated by light breezes. During 
heavy wind storms, they emit a sound as if a broom were 
swept violently through the air, — a swishing sound. 

The woods, with their sweet and healthful odors, and their 
restful quietude, make the ideal home for small game. Along 
these forest roads may be seen during the spring and fall 
months, thousands of red-breasted robins, and the song of the 
wild mocking bird is often heard there to the delight of his 
mate who is attending to her maternal duties on some adja- 
cent bush. 

THE BUILDING OF THE NEST. 

" They'll come again to the apple tree, 

Robin and all the rest, 
When the orchard branches are fair to see 

In the snow of the blossoms drest; 
And the prettiest thing in the world will be 

The building of the nest. 

Weaving it well, so round and trim, 

Hollowing it with care; 
Nothing too far away for him. 

Nothing for her too fair; 
Hanging it safe on the topmost limb, 

Their castle in the air. 



COUNTRY ROADS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 217 

Ah, mother bird, you'll have weary days 
When the eggs are under your breast, 

And shadows may darken the dancing rays 
When the wee ones leave the nest; 

But they'll find their wings in a glad amaze. 
And God will see to the rest. 

So come to the trees with all your train 

When the apple blossoms grow; 
Through the April shimmer of sun and rain, 

Go flying to and fro, 
And sing to our hearts as we watch again 

Your fairy building grow." 

Squirrels may cross the path of the traveler — tails up — in 
quest of the acorn or chinquopin to lay up for " a cold day." 
The " Old Hare "—the " Mollie-Cotton-Tail " of the young- 
Bters — may be seen " scampering her level best " in an effort 
to keep her carcass from the jaws of a greedy old fox that 
follows closely behind her. 

A few years ago, in many of these counties, might be seen 
the daintily limbed Virginia deer, leaping across the road to 
disappear in the thicket beyond the sight of the baying hounds 
and the hunter who follows in hot pursuit. 

The wild turkey was often seen in the " old field clearings," 
scratching for a living, accompanied in the spring time by her 
brood of young ones. 

The deer have nearly all disappeared, but the wild turkey, 
in many places, yet " roosts high," 

During the early spring and late fall months, the 
"Cohonk," "Cohunk," of the wild geese in their annual 
migration, from sundown to break of day, were familiar 
sounds throughout that region of Virginia. Since the intro- 
duction, and frequent trips of 'the local steamboats to many 
of these streams, the wild goose and the wild duck seek the 
more quiet places. 

From the earliest days of settlement of this nation, oxen 



218 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

were in demand for slow, heavy draught work, either upon 
the public highways, or in the woods and new ground clear- 
ings, where tree stumps and roots were numerous. At such 
work, the patient, slow and steady tread of the ox made him 
the favorite in comparison with the quick, nervous, and ex- 
citable horse. 

The ox team needed no harness other than a yoke with a 
ring attached to its center, and strengthened by an iron band, 
and two bows. Neither of these required a very high degree 
of mechanical art to form. 

The yoke was made of light, tough, close grained wood, 
usually swamp maple. It was long enough to reach over and 
project beyond the necks of both cattle. Where it rested upon 
the necks, it was rounded out to fit each, and holes were 
bored to receive both ends of the bows, which were made of 
young, straight grained hickory, or white oak rounded 
smoothly, and bent U-shape to fit under the throats of the 
cattle, then up into the holes in the yoke, fastened by a key 
in each, thereby securing the oxen together. 

When the ox was worked single, he was driven with bits in 
his mouth, attached to a halter which passed over his head, 
and was guided by rope lines. To each end of a single yoke 
were fastened rings which passed through eye bolts to support 
the shafts of a vehicle, or to hitch traces to while plowing, or 
at other work. 

It was often the self-imposed and much enjoyed task of the 
youngsters — white and colored — on a plantation to " break 
the yearlings to the yoke." 

A team composed of a bull and a jackass, or a bull and a 
mule was humorously dubbed " Virginia Eag Bag team." 
Such team was seldom seen elsewhere than in the forest sec- 
tion, and was more frequently the property of " free negroes." 

The ox team is being rapidly relegated to the rear of the 
procession of the present day progress, and soon will be 



COUNTRY ROADS IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA 219 

ranked with the tallow candle age curiosities of the grand- 
father's day. In pioneer days the ox team was a highly 
prized necessity. They lightened the burdens of the Ameri- 
can pioneer in his long and tedious march " "Westward Ho " 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific in advance of the locomotive. 

He was worked as long as he was able, and when no longer 
fit for burdens, his flesh was meat for his matter's sus- 
tenance, and his hide consoled many a weary foot. He has 
been in service from the earliest record of history. His use- 
ful and patient service has earned for him a notice in the 
Proverbs of Solomon: "lAliere no oxen are, the crib is 
clean ; but much increase is by the skength of the ox." 

The Tidewater Virginia ox is not large, but " when pushed, 
will get a move on him " that would leave the larger cattle of 
other sections far behind in the race. Like all his species, he 
will move but slowly unless urged, but " he gets there just the 
same." 

On a hot summer's day may yet be seen on these country 
roads, the typical ox team and negro driver of " Buck and 
Bright," hauling cord wood, railroad ties, or going to, or re- 
turning from a grist mill with " a turn of meal." 

There is an air of quiet and leisure suggested by the meet- 
ing of a yoke of oxen in charge of an old Tidewater Virginia 
negro on a country road there, which is not found elsewhere. 
The oxen move leisurely along with their burden, chewing 
tbeir quid with evident satisfaction, turning neither to the 
right nor to the left, but "keep in the middle of the road," 
as they were early taught. 

The driver sits perched upon the load with whip in hand, 
and both eyes closed to all the world and its cares — fast asleep. 
He puts his trust in his well-trained cattle and the good Lord 
who watches " even to the fall of a sparrow." If the road is 
wide enough, the Virginia gentleman traveler " turns out " 
without a murmur of complaint, or without disturbing the 
slumbers of the drowsy driver. 

Ninety-nine out of every hundred ox teams in that section 



220 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

are named "Buck and Bright." Buck is the "nigh" ox, 
Bright is the " off " ox. 

As a steady, useful draught animal, the mule ranks with 
the ox, and is preferred for work on the plantation. The 
mule learns his work more quickly than does the horse, and is 
more patient and less timid. 

He requires less grain food and less grooming than does a 
horse, and thrives if permitted after his day's work to roll 
upon the ground and fill his hide with sand, which he after- 
wards delights in shaking off by a romp and a kick or two. 
A mule or an old time negro may look drowsy, but either of 
them can fling their feet with astonishing rapidity. A mule 
will permit his driver to take certain liberties with him which 
a stranger may take only at great peril to his own safety : 

" Stan' cl'ar o' dat Pete mule's hin' laigs 'less yo' wants yo' 
fune-ral preached," is the frequent admonition of the negro 
mule driver to intruding strangers who do not know " a mule's 
ways." The negro is usually a patient and merciful driver. 

The negro as a mule driver, has a cinch on the white man. 
A Tidewater Virginia mule is like an inquisitive, healthy boy. 
He wants someone talking to him all the while. If a mule 
balks, or shies, or travels too slow, the white man has neither 
time nor patience to talk to him in other than sulphurous lan- 
guage, and frequently will resort to the whip, which only adds 
to the stubbornness of the mule. The old time negro driver 
had more time to spare, and consequently more patience with 
the halting or fractious mule than the white man, and he 
talked to the mule in a peculiar inflection of the voice cal- 
culated to shame the mule : " Wat's de matter wid yo' 
muil ? Look at him now ; w'at I feed yo' f o', suh ? I'se not 
gwine stan' yere all day pesterin' wid yo' ! Yo' yere me 
muil? Git up here muil 'fore I war dis yere switch outen 
yo' hide, suh !" 

While this talk is going on, in a deliberate way, the mule is 
resting, and when it ceases, off goes the mule, and the negro 
and the mule at once forget the incident. 




' ' Buck and Bright. ' ' 

Tidewater, Virginia, "Buffalo" steers. "'Buck and Briglit," and tlieir sleepy negro driver coming from 
the grist mill with a " turn of meal." 




Negro ex-Confederate Soldier. 

Lewis Johnson — colored, registered by Board of Registration, Montross District. Westmoreland 
County, Va., as a voter under the clause — a" person who prior to the adoption of this Constitution 
(1902-03) served in time of war in the army or navy of the United States, or of the Confederate 
states or of any State of the United States or of the Confederate States, he having served in the 
Confederate army in time of war. Signed. W. C. ENGLAND. 

President of Board of Registration of Westmoreland Co.. Va., for the year 1902-03. 



CHAPTER XIX 
Laods and Products. 



I. Seasons. 
There are two beautiful seasons of the year in Tidewater 
Virginia. First is the early spring time when the forests 
bud and the flowers blossom; then the air is filled with the 
sweet odors exhaled by nature, in her efforts to encourage 
verdure to wake from the cold slumbers, and to smile upon 
the earth and spread its green mantle over the landscape, and 
free the waters from their frigid chill, that they may romp 
and run free from the mountains to the sea shore undis- 
turbed. This is the most welcome season of the year. It is 
then the busy time for the tiller of the soil, and the fisherman 
hastens to prepare his nets for the harvest which the warm 
waters will bring to them. The following is typical of the 
negroes' thought of Spring time. 

O, Miss Spring time, 

We's glad to see 'taint so, 
"We's fear'd dat ol' Miss Wintah 

Had kiver'd yo' up wid snow; 
But dar cum spry Miss April, 

She done jes' dried huh eyes, 
An' bresh'd away de heavy clouds 

Wat hid de shiny skies, 
Den we se'ed 'long de road side 

De flowers yo' use to bring. 
An' we know'd it by de "Daises" 

Dat yo' wuz sho'ly spring. 

We he'erd ol' Mistah Bullfrog 

A hoppin' to his home. 
An' steddy shoutin' to hissef 

"Jug-o-rum", "Jug-o-rum". 
[221] 



223 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Lissen w'at dat young frog say 

— He's jes' woke up from sleep — 

I knows he's in some trubble 

—"Knee deep", "knee deep", "knee deep" — 

O, Yas, it's sho'ly spring time 

Wen frogs keep up sicli noise, 
A singin' to dar lone selves, 

— A racket — jes' laik boys. 

The other pretty season of the year is the late fall when the 
summer's heat has expended its force, and the atmosphere 
fills the human lungs with its healthful breaths of cool air. 
Then the oak leaves change their emerald hue, and lose their 
hold upon the parent tree, to drop at its feet and form mold 
to nourish the roots for future needs, while the Heavens 
are casting their weighty coats of glittering frosts upon the 
earth, as a warning to nature to prepare its slumbering couch 
lor winter's visit. This is the second welcome season of the 
year. Then the industrious farmer and the lucky fisherman 
have already reaped their harvests and gathered them for pro- 
tection against winter's icy hand, which is sure to search the 
lands where harvests bloomed, and the rivers where the waters 
romped and made merry with their finny visitors. 

Winter soon makes a struggle to settle itself upon the earth, 
and sends its windy messengers from the North, with trum- 
pets full of chilly air to blow upon the face of nature and thus 
force its eyes to close before the expected storms. 

This wintry struggle is interrupted usually about the mid- 
dle of November, when the weather again becomes warm, 
enabling the belated wayfarer to seek shelter, who, but 
for its aid would be " left out in the cold." 

This change in the weather, with its hazy atmosphere, is a 
delightful season. It was named " Indian Summer " from 
the following circumstances : During tlie first settlements of 
the "West, the pioneers to that region were continually 



LANDS AKD PRODUCTS 223 

harassed by the Indians. These people enjoyed no peace ex- 
cepting in the severe winter weather when the Indians were 
unable to make their raids into the settlements. The onset of 
winter was therefore hailed as a relief from these annoyances 
by the settlers who throughout the spring and early part of 
the fall had been forced for their own safety to live in little 
uncomfortable forts. At the approach of winter, therefore, 
all the farmers excepting the owner of the fort, removed to 
their cabins on their farms. It sometimes happened, after 
the apparent onset of winter, that the weather became warm, 
the " smoky time " commenced, and lasted for a considerable 
number of days. This was Indian Summer, because it 
afforded the Indians another opportunity of visiting the set- 
tlements with their destructive warfare. 

At morn, along the woodland stream, 
A film of ice, brief as a dream. 
Gleams in the sun. 
And frost gems in the woods and grass, 
Like trinkets wrought of polished glass, 
Or myriad points of burnished brass 
That shine as one. 

A dreamy haze, half fog, half smoke, 
Above the red tops of the oak 
Hangs like a pall; 
Incasing all the hill tops gray. 
And valley stretching far away. 
Where regal Indian Summer's sway 
Transfigures all. 

The winters are especially mild in the lower tidewater 
section ; very seldom is ice formed upon its streams more than 
two or three inches thick. Snows are usually light, and last 
upon the earth but a few days after falling. Weather suitable 
for planting garden vegetables is often found in the middle of 
February, or the beginning of March. There is usually an 



2?.4 LIFE. IN OLD VIRGINIA 

abundant rainfall in the spring time, and the summer's 
drought ends about July. 

II. Lands of Tidewater Virginia. 

The lands and waters of America were claimed by the 
Christian monarchs of Europe by "right of discovery through 
their subjects. These Christian monarchs held many bloody 
disputes with one another over these doubtful titles by dis- 
covery. The colonists who settled Virginia had no title to 
the lands or waters other than what was given them, in their 
charter from the King of England. Under this doubtful 
right, they landed and set up the emblem of Christianity — the 
Cross — and claimed the lands and waters for their king. 

When America was first discovered, its lands were held in 
common by the several tribes or nations of the aborigines. 
Those tribes who were nomadic, moving from place to place in 
pursuit of game, laid no particular claim to any section, but 
looked upon all as free for their purposes. Such tribes made 
no fixed habitation upon the soil. 

When the colonists reached Virginia, they found the In- 
dians settled near the best fishing shores, and upon the most 
fertile spots of land. The island upon which the colony first 
seated was part of the territory occupied by a tribe of Indiana 
whose chief Paspiha welcomed the new comers, and shared 
with them his lands. This was the first undisputed, quiet 
title from an aboriginal inhabitant of the new world to the 
white man of the old world, and to Tidewater Virginia be- 
longs this honor. The territory which the Spaniards already 
occupied at St. Augustine, Florida, and Santa Fe, New 
Mexico, was taken from the Indians without leave, or bargain, 
or price. 

Until the massacre of 1622 by the Indians, the colony with 
some few exceptions, bargained for, and purchased from the 
several Indian kings, such lands as they occupied up to that 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 235 

date. The purcliase price was often in trifling articles, such 
as grindstones, blue beads, copper kettles, and hatchets. 

" Parahunt " near the falls of the James was the birth- 
place of Powhatan. This was purchased from him by Smith, 
and called " None Such." The price was in part an English 
boy named Henry Spelman. 

There was another white boy given to Powhatan, though 
not in exchange for lands. This boy's name was Thomas 
Savage; he came to Virginia in the ship John & Francis, in 
1608, when Newport took with him to England a young 
Indian, named Namontuck, who undertook to count the Eng- 
lish by cutting a notch in his stick, when he entered London. 
Savage was given as a hostage for the return of the Indian. 
Thomas Savage eventually settled in Accomac County at a 
place called Savages Neck. 

In 1612, seventy acres of land were cleared near Farrars 
Island on James Eiver, and laid off for corn. It was claimed 
that this tract of seventy acres could produce enough grain 
to supply the existing population of Virginia. This clear- 
ing was begun in September, 1611, with three hundred men. 

Lands were purchased by Yeardley and other governors 
from the Indians in exchange for corn, after the colony began 
to produce more than it needed for its own uses. 

In the treaty entered into by Sir George Yeardley and 
Opechanchanough, the English were granted permission to 
*•' reside and inhabit " at such places on the banks of certain 
rivers, which were not already occupied by the natives. After 
the massacre of 1622, the Indians were driven off such lands 
as the colony needed. They receded before the white man, 
further away from the rivers, into the dense forests. 

The London Company offered to those who would go to 
Virginia : 

" That for the present they shall have meate, drinke and 
clothing, with an horse, orchard and garden for the meanest 
15 



226 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

(smallest) family, and possession of lands to them and their 
posterity, 100 acres for every mans person that hath a trade, 
or a body able to endure day labonre, as much for his wife, as 
much for his child, that are of yeares to do service to the 
colony, with further particular reward according to their 
particular merits and industry." 

The above inforjnation was written to the Lord Mayor of 
London about 1609, as an advertisement of the scheme of 
colonization. Everyone who had adventured his own person, 
or had sent, or brought others over to Virginia, at his own 
expense, was entitled to one hundred acres of land, personal 
adventure for each. 

These grants were called " Great Shares," or " Shares of 
Old Adventure." This was subsequently reduced to fifty 
acres which, upon being " peopled or settled upon " and culti- 
vated, would entitle the holder to another fifty acres. There 
were two other methods of acquiring lands in Virginia. The 
one was upon merit. Wlien any person had conferred a bene- 
fit, or done a service to the Company or Colony, a certain 
number of acres was bestowed upon him, not to exceed twenty 
"^ Great Shares," or two thousand acres. The other was 
called "Adventure of the Purse." Every person who paid 
twelve pounds ten shillings into the Company's Treasury, was 
given a title to one hundred acres of land anywJiere in Vir- 
ginia, that had not been before granted to or possessed by 
others. 

Lands were granted by the Company for many purposes. 
In 1619, 3000 acres were laid off for support of the Governor, 
12,000 acres for the Company, and 10,000 acres for the use 
of the University at Henrico. Each boy, and girl apprentice 
was entitled to land at maturity. 

The settlement of Virginia be3'ond the Blue Eidge, was 
made principally from the grants of land upon condition of 
occupying, improving and defending them. Up until the 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 327 

date Virginia ceded lier title to lands to the United States, 
she possessed more than four fold as much territory as any 
other of the thirteen colonies. 

The first share of land granted from the Company accord- 
ing to the King's letters patent, which promised to divide the 
lands at the end of seven years, after 1609, was issued to 
Simon Codrington, on March 16, 1616, during the Quarter 
Court, Hilary Term. 

In 1613, Sir Thomas Dale allotted to each man three acres. 
This was to those persons who had been brought to Virginia 
at the Company's expense. This was really no good title to 
the land, as the colonist to whom it was given had to work 
eleven months for the store (warehouse), and had but two 
barrels of corn from thence. 

The settlement at Bermuda Hundreds (in 1613) enjoyed 
more favorable terms : 

" For one month's labor for the company, which must 
neither be in seed time nor harvest, they were exempted from 
all further service, and for this exemption they only paid 2|- 
barrels of corn as a yearly tribute to the store." 

During the first two centuries succeeding the settlement at 
Jamestown, the navigable streams were necessarily the main 
highways of commerce and of intercourse between the several 
settlements, which at that period did not extend far inland. 
The settlements were extended along the coast line for hun- 
dreds of miles, and inland not more than one hundred miles 
from the sea shore, around the head waters of the streams. 
Beyond this was a wild wilderness of dense forest. 

The colony of Virginia at first confined its settlements to 
the banks of the James Eiver, thence extending along the 
aflQuent streams of the Chesapeake Bay, and the Kappahan- 
nock and Potomac rivers. 

Surveys were required by laws as per act of the General 
Assembly, March 5, 1623-4, following : 



238 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

" 13 Act. That every privatt planters devident shall be sur- 
veyed and laid out in several and the bounds recorded by the 
survey; yf there be any pettie differences betwixt neighbors 
about their devidents to be divided by the surveyor if of much 
Importance to be referred to the governor and council. The 
surveyor to have 10 lbs of tobacco upon every hundred acres." 

" Act LXIII. Every man shall enclose his ground with suffi- 
cient fences — uppon his owne perill." 

Certain lands were allotted to Indians as per following : 

" Act LI March 1657-8. No grants of land to issue to any Eng- 
lishman until the Indians be first served with the proportion of 
50 acres of land for each bowman, and the proportion for each 
particular towne to lie together, with libertie of all waste and 
unfenced land for hunting for the Indians." 

According to the census of 1900, there were in that year 
three hundred and fifty-four Indians in Virginia, as follows : 
108 in Elizabeth City County, 24 in Hanover County, 152 in 
King William County, 1 in New Kent County, 52 in Norfolk 
County, 8 in Prince George County, 1 in Prince William 
County, 6 in Washington County, 1 in city of Bristol, and 1 
in city of Richmond. Probably all together they do not now 
own enough of Virginia's soil to give each one much more 
than enough for a garden patch. 

The most extravagrant grant of Virginia's land was made 
by King Charles II, to Lords Arlington and Culpeper, two 
favorites of the King. The grant was dated February 25, 
in the year 1673. It granted for the term of thirty-one years 
"the entire territory, tract and dominion commonly called 
Virginia, with the territory of Accomac, with all rivers, waters 
and royalties whatsoever; are granted, as aforesaid, and 
bounded on the north, with the dominion of Maryland, on the 
east, with the sea, on the south with Carolina, with all the 
islands within the said bounds, and within 10 leagues of the 
shore." 



Lands and products ^^^ 

This was the cause of great dissatisfaction in the colony. 
The General Assembly passed an act for its repeal and agents 
were sent to England for that purpose. Finally after failing 
to sell this right to Virginia's agents. Lord Arlington con- 
veyed his right to Lord Culpeper, who was Governor and 
Captain General of Virginia from May 10, 1680, to September 
10, 1683. Culpeper finally relinquished his right to the 
King in 1684, and Virginia was again under the protection 
and control of the Crown. This grant, together with that of 
the Northern Neck, heretofore mentioned, gave the early 
colonists an experience of monopolies and monopolists. 

III. Farming. 

Prior to the Civil War, the people of Tidewater Virginia 
got their living by tilling the soil, by fishing and oystering, 
and from the products of the forests. 

The larger farms were conducted on the " five field system," 
that is, one field in clover, two fields in wheat, and two in 
corn. The clover was for pasture and improvement of the 
soil. Except in localties contiguous to the cities, there was 
no attempt to produce garden vegetables for marketing. 

The main agricultural products of the counties remote 
from railroad facilities were corn, wheat, oats, and in some 
counties tobacco, together with the several vegetables, only 
for home uses. 

The first cultivated crop of the soil of Virginia offered to 
the old world was tobacco, the cultivation of which it is said 
was begun in 1613 by John Eolfe, who married Pocahontas. 
It soon became the staple crop to the exclusion of all others, 
so much so that laws were enacted limiting the number of 
plants to be cultivated by each hand, and the number of 
leaves to be gathered from each plant, the price at which 
it was to be sold, etc. To prevent a scarcity of corn, each 
master of a family was compelled to plant and sufficiently 



230 LIFE IN" OLD VIRGINIA 

tend two acres a head, for each laboring person in his family, 
and as an encouragement to cultivate that article " everjr 
planter might sell it as dear as he could." 

In 1617, Capt, Argall returned to Virginia from England 
as Deputy Governor; he found "the market place and other 
spare places in Jamestown planted in tobacco." Tobacco was 
then selling in London at ten shillings a pound, equivalent 
to $2.50. 

Eev. Dr. Jas. Blair, the first president of William and 
Mary College, went to England in 1691 to secure funds to 
train young men for the ministry. He applied to Sir Ed- 
ward SejTXLOur, the treasury Commissioner, and in his argu- 
ment for aid stated that " the people of Virginia had souls 
to save as well as the people of England." To this Seymour 
exclaimed: "Damn your souls! Grow tobacco!" 

The opinions of three centuries ago concerning tobacco are 
interesting. Hariot wrote of tobacco as follows : 

" There is an herbe called by the inhabitants " Uppowoc." 
In the "West Indies it hath divers names according to the 
sevrall places and countries where it groweth and is used. 
The Spaniards call it Tobacco. The leaves thereof being 
dried and brought into powder ; they use to take the fume or 
smoke thereof by sucking it through pipes made of claie into 
their stomachs and heads; from thence it purgeth all the 
pores and passages of the body by which means thereof not 
only prescrveth the body from obstruction; but also if any 
be, so that they have not been of too long continuance, in 
short time breaketh them; whereby their bodies are notably 
possessed in health, and know not many grevious diseases 
wherewithall wee in England are oftentimes afflicted." 

" We ourselves during the time we were there used to suck 
it after their manner, and also since our return, and have 
found many rare and wonderful experiments of the virtues 
thereof; of which the relation would require a volume of 
itself." 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 



231 



King James I had a different opinion of tobacco. In his 
treatise entitled: "A Counterblast to Tobacco/' he said: 
" That its fumes resembles the horrible Stygian smoke of the 
pit that is bottomless." 

Stitli in his history states that: "Tobacco, a stinking, 
nauseous, and unpalatable weed, is certainly an odd commo- 
dity to make the staple and riches of a country. It is neither 
of necessity nor ornament to human life; but the use of it 
depends upon humor and custom and may be looked upon as 
one of the most singular and extraordinary pieces of luxury 
that the wantonness of man hath yet invented or given into." 
There were two noted kinds, Oronoko— the stronger— and 
sweet scented— the milder. The latter was preferred by the 
ministers for the payment of their salaries. 

Until comparatively recent years, very few of the farmers 
made attempt to cultivate hay crops. The long food for cat- 
tle and horses was formed from the corn crop. Corn fodder, 
composed of the corn stalk blades, with the tops of the stalks, 
and the shucks from the ear of corn, together with wheat and 
oat straw, formed the main foods of the farm animals. 

Wlien the ears of corn had passed their soft and milky 
stage, the leaves were stripped off the stalk, bound in bundles 
by a band of the same material, and hung upon the stalk to 
season, and afterwards were stacked. Later the tops of the 
stalks were cut ofE just above the hanging ears of corn, and 
bound together in bundles with the same material, and after a 
few days curing were stacked near the cuppen (cowpen), or 
barn yard, for winter's feeding. The fodder crop was seldom 

housed. 

Wlien the ears of corn were shucked in the field, the shucks 
were left hanging to the stalk for the cattle to feed upon. 

Corn shucking was often made one of the festivals of en- 
joyment in which the negro was the main participant. In 
the fall, after the blades were pulled, the tops cut, and all wa9 



232 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

stacked, the corn in its shuck (husk) was pulled from the 
stalks, hauled to the barn yard, or "fodder pen,'^ where it 
was " ricked up " in a high, long row. Notice was widely 
given by the servants of the appointed time set for " the 
shucking," which usually began after sundown, and was con- 
tinued until late in the night. 

- Such occasions were largely attended, and as they usually 
came in squads of two or three to a dozen, across the fields, 
around the sandy roads, or through the paths in the dark, 
quiet, piney woods, the night was made joyous by their sing- 
ing. During the days of slavery, and for several years there- 
after, the negroes sang at their several tasks, or even when 
tramping through the woods, or in the roads. 

The shucking feast was started by some one with a strong, 
musical voice who, when mounting the corn pile, reached 
down for an ear of corn, and tossed it up in the air, and 
started the song, as he walked from end to end of the pile. 
He was joined in the chorous by the crowd, and followed in 
rhythmic motions of their bodies in unison with his tune, and 
when the singing was inspiring and they "got hot," some 
daring shucker mounted the pile of corn also, and challenged 
the leader to a wrestle by starting some new song : 

" Dis co'n it are good, 
An' dat yo' dem all know, 
It's on dis yere plantation 
Dis good co'n did grow. 

Shuck co'n, 

O, shuck co'n. 

" Yo' dem has money 
An' I'll soon hav' some, 
Cum len' me a dollah 
An' let me go home. 

Shuck co'n, 

O, shuck co'n." 



/ 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 233 

During their labors, they were served with something to 
drink by passing the bottle, jug, or decanter, and glass from 
hand to hand until all who desired the beverage were served. 
Few of them refused a "dram,"' but seldom indulged to 
excess. 

It would daze an advocate of temperance to witness the 
look of satisfaction and contentment, which was indicated 
upon the faces, and the upturned eyes of the shuckers as they 
turned the last drop of a well filled goblet into their wide- 
open mouths, and grunted a satisfied a-a-h, and smacked their 
lips to get the last remaining flavor of "fire water" within 
safe precincts. 

An abundant supper ended the feast, and after the assembly 
cut a few "hoe downs," in which the aged as well as the 
youths could " do their stunts," keeping time to lively patted 
or hummed tunes, they dispersed as they came, laughing and 
singing as they returned through the woods, the fields, and 
the roads. 

The negro slave was neither a drunkard, nor a rowdy. 
Those inclined to either of these vices were kept in restraint 
by their owners. 

The old-fashioned farming in Tidewater Virginia was not 
conducted with a view to improving the soil. Peruvian guano 
was extensively used as a fertilizer for the present crops, and 
was of little or no advantage to the future improvement of 
the soils. Much of the lands were not plowed deeper than 
three or four inches, so as to keep the offal and the fertilizer 
as near the top as possible. 

Few of the farmers fallowed their lands for corn. They 
usually " lapped " two furrows, and when planting, they split 
the ground between them, and covered the corn with the foot. 
Side hills were " circled " and lapped to prevent washing by 
the rains. In circling hillsides, their several turns and wind- 
ings were followed with a view to so arrange the furrows as to 



234 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

distribute the rainfalls as evenly as possible throughout the 
whole hillsides. Experienced hands were required for this 
work. 

In the very early years of Virginia the grain crops, such as 
wheat and oats, were cut with a sickle, a curved knife, twelve 
or fifteen inches long, with serrated edges, and a wooden 
handle. It was used in one hand, while the other hand and 
arm, by a backward motion, gathered and grasped the grain 
into a bunch to be cut. 

Tliis was succeeded by the cradle, a thin steel blade slightly 
curved, between three and four feet in length. At the butt 
end — right hand — was a socket for the snead — a long handle — 
to which was attached two " nubs,'' one for each hand to 
grasp while using the cradle. Fastened to the blade, and to 
the snead, were five or six fingers of wood above the blade, and 
running parallel with it, to aid in holding up the cut grain 
while the reaper carried his cradle across the swath and 
dropped the contents in a row. 

A ripe harvest field with numerous cradlers was a pretty 
sight, and an inspiring evidence of prosperity. Its golden 
headed grain waved with slightest breeze like a sea subsiding 
after a storm. The stalwart harvesters followed each other 
■ with their cradles tightly grippled, and in rhythmic motion 
grappled the standing grain, and with a musical " swish " of 
the blade cropped the stalks from their hold upon mother 
earth, and laid them low for the " binders," who followed 
closely behind with rake in hand to gather the grain against 
their upturned shins, and hastily grasp from it a wisp to form 
the band and make a sheaf. 

During the harvest, the farmer's kitchen was a scene of 
busy bustle while meals were being prepared for the hearty 
harvesters. The odors from a Tidewater Virginia kitchen 
during those days savored of juicy country ham, fresh lamb, 
and the inevitable fried chicken. Added to these were every 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 235 

kind of vegetables, together with a bountiful supply of green 
apple and huckleberry pies, and abundance of sweet milk, 
buttermilk, and " bonnie clabber." 

A much sought for dish upon such occasions was " pot 
liquor," a product of the times of great abundance. " Laws a 
mussy, chile, whar has yo' bin all dis time widout knowin' w'at 
pot liquor is," said an old negro mammy to an inquisitive one 
who was a stranger to the customs of old time Virginia 
harvests. 

" Ef yo' war to drink a gourd full uv ol' Missus pot liquor 
}'o' jes' hanker fo' mo'. Dat yo' would !" 

" Pot liquor " was not of as humble origin as its name im- 
plies. During occasions which demanded "big dinners," a 
whole ham, or possibly two, were placed in a big pot of water 
and suspended from the chimney crane over the fire. When 
the meat was partly cooked, cabbages were added, and later 
peeled potatoes were placed in the pot, and when these vege- 
tables were partly cooked, corn meal dumplings were added, 
and after all were sufficiently cooked together, they were taken 
out and a handful of corn meal was sprinkled over the pot 
liquor and allowed to cook a few minutes. The pot liquor was 
thus seasoned with juicy, fat ham, scraps of the cabbages, 
potatoes, and corn meal dumplings, and thickened with corn 
meal. It needed no other seasoning, and was superior in 
flavor, and strength of nourishment to the many soups of the 
present day cooking. 

These scenes of thrift and abundance have passed from view, 
and are now succeeded by rattling harvesting machines, which 
know no pleasure other than the grinding noises which wear 
them awaj^, and add to the harvest field the chilling aspect of 
a machine shop, where before was laughter and joy, mingled 
with praise for him who " cut the widest swath." 

Before the introduction of threshing machines, the crops of 
wheat and oats were threshed with flails, or trod out by cattle 
or horses. 



236 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The threshing by flail was done upon the barn floor, or upon 
a piece of hard, cleared ground. For purpose of treading the 
grain out by horses, or cattle, a hard, level spot of ground was 
fenced in, and after the grain was set up on the butt ends, the 
cattle or horses were driven around the enclosure at as rapid 
gait as possible ; horses were sometimes ridden several abreast 
around the enclosure. This was a tedious and expensive 
method. The treading usually ended with a frolic for the 
neighbors who brought their horses to assist, and between 
them and their teams they ate nearly the full value of their 
labors. 

There was objection to threshing machines upon their first 
introduction, as it was believed they broke the wheat grains, 
and that there was danger of the machine flying to pieces. 
There was a nervous old gentleman well known in the North- 
ern Neck, who was a good and extensive farmer, but strongly 
opposed to new methods, and especially to the introduction of 
farming machinery. He was finally prevailed upon to permit 
his wheat being threshed by a threshing machine, which was 
propelled by horses attached to arms of the machine, and 
moving in a circle. He critically eyed the machine, and its 
fixtures as they were being put together, and repeatedly 
cautioned his negro servants to "stand clear," and to keep 
their eyes and ears open, and not get entangled in the 
machine. 

When the threshing began, the noise of the iron cog-wheels, 
the rapid scattering of the straw as it was thrown out by the 
machine, and the shouts of the drivers to the horses, created a 
greater confusing din of sounds than the old gentleman 
could endure. With wild gesticulations of his hands and 
his walking cane, he ordered his servants away from the 
machine, and disdaining the haste with which his crop was 
being disposed of, he shouted to the operator to stop, and take 
the machine out of his sight and hearing. " It took me twelve 




Watermelon Hucksters on the way to Richmond Market, from 
Chickahomhiv River Section. 




Virginia. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 237 

months to raise this crop of wheat," said he, " and I'll be 
damned if I'll let you or any other man thresh it out in three 
hours with an infernal yankee machine which is liable to fly 
to pieces at any moment and kill some of my best niggers." 

The owners of numerous servants were also the owners of 
the best agricultural lands which usually were found near the 
rivers. The poorer classes were thus forced into the central 
parts of the respective peninsulas, where they cultivated 
" patches " rather than extensive fields. These patches of 
ground were the clearings made in the forests after the saw 
mill timber, and cord wood were taken therefrom. 

IV. The Forests. 

In many of the peninsulas, the lands gradually rise as they 
advance from the river bottom sections until the central por- 
tions of the peninsula are reached. These elevated sections 
are generally composed of lighter soils than the river bottom 
lands. Much of these higher lands are " turned out " to the 
growing of timber for railroad ties, cord wood, and saw mill 
material. Such localties are usually designated as " the 
forest.' Certain neighborhoods in the respective forests are 
humorously nick-named, such as " Quintin Oak " in North- 
umberland and Eichmond counties, " Eed Shin " in West- 
moreland, " The Barrens " in King George, " Chinquapin " 
in Essex, " Sandy Lane " in Caroline, " Eabbit Branch " in 
Fairfax. The southern end of Gloucester is called " Guinea." 

In some of the forest sections, there is more or less local 
dialect spoken. A " Down East " captain who was loading 
his vessel with ship timber in one of the interior streams of 
tidewater, went into one of the forest cross roads stores and 
asked, in the nasal tones peculiar to his section, for a bushel 
of " onyions." 

The store keeper after trying to repeat the request of the 
Yankee captain, shook his head, and replied that he was sorry 



338 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

he could not accommodate him. After the departure of the 
captain, a native of that section who was present when the 
request for onions was made and who, in former days had 
made several trips to Cape Cod with sweet potatoes, told 
the store keeper : " The gentleman wanted ' ingyions,' I 
reckon." 

" Ingyions, you say !" replied the merchant. " Ovah yonda 
in my co'n crib I've right smaht mo'an fohty bushel. Call the 
man back an' teach him how to talk !" 

Notwithstanding these occasional "local breaks of forest 
dialect," there is probably no place in the United States where 
the English language is spoken with more purity, and even 
amongst those whose claims to the higher education are 
limited. 

The steamboat facilities prior to the Civil War were very 
meagre throughout some portions of Tidewater Virginia, in 
comparison with the present day, and because of the tedious 
journeys by sail vessels, or overland journeys on horseback to 
the surrounding cities, there were some persons resident there 
who seldom or ever visited a city, and therefore knew not by 
experience the utilities of city life, such as the use of gas for 
lighting purposes. Such people are now known as "gas 
blowers," a class now almost extinct. 

" Old man B dine " as he was most familiarly known 

where he resided, in " Chinquopin precinct," was one of those. 
For the first time in his long life, he was " obliged " to go to 
Richmond City, distant sixty odd miles from his home. 

He nervously prepared for his new journey by giving his 
old horse an extra heavy feed the night previous to his start, 
and the next morning had his " nigger chap " give the nag an 
extra rubbing down with corn cobs and a wisp of straw, to 
" slick the animal's coat." To keep alive his master's spirits 
the negro filled to overflowing a black bottle with freshly dis- 
tilled apple brandy, a product of Mr. B's apple orchard, and 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 239 

securely fastened to his master's saddle eight bundles of 
bright fodder, within which were stored six ears of corn, for 
the animal's noonday lunch, and the good wife packed up for 
him a " big snack " composed of chicken legs, ham, and pigs' 
feet, surrounded by two goodly chunks of Johnny Cake. 

Thus well equipped, he made his start scanning each cross 
roads sign board carefully before entering into a new road, 
and to ward off the lonesomeness of the journey, he ofttimes 
drew the cork of his bottle. After scanning the heavens re- 
peatedly, he at last concluded it must be noontime, and turn- 
ing into a clearing by the roadside, he dismounted, fed his 
horse, and began his snack, not more than half of which he 
had appetite for. After prudently pocketing the unfinished 
*■' snack," he bridled his horse and resumed his journey. 
About night fall he reached the city, tired but much buoyed 
up by the contents of his black bottle, all of which he had now 
imbibed. Upon inquiry he was directed to one of the best 
hotels in the city, which upon reaching he boldly rode across 
the sidewalk to its door, and called in his loudest tones to 
*' send out a nigger to take my horse, give him twelve bundles 
of fodder and twelve ears of corn, for the critter's had a long 
journey." He was politely informed that there was no stable 
attached to the hotel. " Well," said he, " They can beat you in 
Tappahannock. There's two taverns there, and each of 'em 
keeps a shed for nothing else but horses," It was agreed to 
send his horse to a livery stable, and as he was already full of 
" snack " and apple brandy, he declined supper, and was 
shown to his room by a young negro servant, who before leav- 
ing, lighted the gas in the room. The old man was so 
fatigued by his journey that he at once lay down upon the bed 
for a nap before undressing, and as the. gas light showed down 
in his eyes he endeavored to blow it out from his posture in 
the bed, but failing to do so, he landed his old felt hat 
squarely upon the jet and out went the bright flame, but the 



240 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

gas nevertheless escaped into his room and through the tran- 
som to the corridor of the house where its odors were detected 
by the night watchman of the hotel while going his rounds 
throughout the corridors. Upon his locating the room from 
which the gas issued, the watchman loudly rapped for admit- 
tance. The old man nearly dazed by the escaping fumes, at 
last opened his door, and was informed that the gas was 
escaping in his room: 

"Don't you smell it," said the watchman. "Yes, I've 
been, smelling something rotten for some time," said he. " I 
believe its dead rats in the house. If you'd keep a cat or two 
here you wouldn't have such a smell." Upon being told of 
his mistake, and being shown how to close the gas jet, the old 
fellow impatiently exclaimed J " Durn your gas lamp to the 
devil ; take it out and send me a tallow candle such as I am 
used to." 

It was in the forest sections that the " old fields " were 
most commonly found. An old field was a piece of land con- 
taining an indefinite number of acres which had been over- 
worked and become too poor to longer till with profit. On 
such poor lands, one might see during the " fodder pulling " 
season, " a six foot man pulling fodder from a three foot corn 
stalk." 

The first vegetation of the old field after being "turned 
out," was "broom sedge," which when in full growth much 
resembles timothy grass. It is said that broom sedge was 
first brought to America in the hay for the British army 
during the Eevolution. In the early spring, its dried growth 
which stood upon the ground was burned off to enable the 
new growth to appear for pasture. When first it appeared, 
after the burning, it was grazed by the cattle, though there is 
little nourishment in it. As soon as it attains a height of six 
or eight inches, it becomes so hard, fibry and tough that stock 
refuse to graze it. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 241 

In olden time, it was the delight of every good house- 
keeper in Tidewater Virginia to keep a clean fire hearth, and 
for this purpose " hearth brooms " were made of wisps of 
broom sedge tightly bound with yarn string. 

In due time " scrub pines " appear on the old fields and as 
the fertility of the soil is increased by the forest offal, the 
scrub pines give way to more valuable timber growth, and 
then " the old field is lost in the woods " until the ringing 
echo of the woodman's axe is heard felling some mighty giant 
of the forest as in the days of yore. 

V. Schools. 

It was in the forest section that the " old field schools *' 
thrived. Before the Civil War, the educational facilities of 
Virginia were maintained at private expense. In the several 
counties there were private schools, many of which were called 
" academies." Some of the prosperous families remote from 
these academies hired governesses. Those living in the 
*• forest " who could not afford the expense of academy schools, 
or the hire of a governess, clubbed together in the several 
neighborhoods, built "log cabins for schools in old fields," 
hired teachers, with the agreement that they should " board 
round " with the several families whose children they taught 
the three Es— " readin' "— " ritin' "— " rithmetic." 

In order that the burden of caring for the new teacher 
might be evenly distributed, it was the custom to have a meet- 
ing of the pupils' parents at the school house, and there dis- 
cuss the subject of bearing the expense. Those who could 
not spare the money were allowed the opportunity of con- 
tributing their allotted share of the expense by way of pro- 
viding lodging, and laundering for the teacher. At one of 
these meetings there were three old widows whose children 
needed schooling, but whose finances were at such a low ebb 
they were not able to pay their proportion in cash, but ex- 
16 



342 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

pressed their anxiety to have a teacher and share the burden 
as far as they were able. 

When the question of providing the cash for salary was 
settled, the spokesman asked one of the widows what she could 
do for the teacher, to which she replied : 

" I kin eat him a while if he's as easy as the last one. " 

" Well," said the next widov,r^ " If Sister Johnson is gwine 
to eat him, I'll agree to sleep him, but I can't wash him," 

" Well," said the third widow, " I'll do the best I kin to 
wash him, but I'll tell you now, I ain't much on biled shirts.'* 

The log cabin schools were furnished with pine benches, 
formed of heavy boards or slabs, without backs, and were sup- 
ported from the floor by two legs of pine or oak saplings, in- 
serted at either ends, through inch and a half, or two inch 
augur holes. 

On the sunny side of the cabin, one of the logs was cut out 
for about two thirds of the length of the cabin, from about 
midway of the height between the eaves and the dirt floor, 
and the opening thus made was covered with a board hung 
upon leather hinges, so that it could be lowered to give pro- 
tection against the storms, or raised to give light to the 
" writing scholars." This board was called the " flap board." 
The writing desk consisted of a board fastened along upon 
pegs immediately under the opening for the flap board, and 
there the writing scholars sat upon three legged stools. Quill 
pens, and unruled paper were in common use. The old time 
teacher was a tyrant to his scholars, and believed in tanning 
the hides of the unruly ones with hickory switches. 

" Dunce caps," and " dunce stools " were frequent instru- 
ments of torture to the dull scholars. A " dunce cap " was 
made of paper formed in the shape of a cone, and upon which 
the word " dunce " was written. This v/as placed upon the 
head of the stupid, or negligent scholar, who failed to repeat 
the lesson. The " dunce stool " was small, and three legged. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 243 

It was sometimes called the "creepy stool," because the 
scholars usually " crept," or were slow to mount it. 

This sort of schooling, together with the " College of the 
Stump " made Virginia famous for its orators. 

A " stump speaker " was one who could get upon a stump, 
of a tree at a " new ground clearing," and give his hearers a 
« good talk." 

The first public free school system of Virginia was pro- 
vided for under the constitution of the State which was rati- 
fied July 6, 1869. The legislature of 1870-71 made pro- 
visions for putting these schools into operation. 

Notwithstanding the neglect of the State of Virginia to 
earlier maintain public schools, free to all. Tidewater Vir- 
ginia has nevertheless the credit of establishing the first free 
school. 

There was an order of the London Company dated Novem- 
ber 18, 1618, for the planting of a university at Henrico, on 
James Eiver. In that same year Eev. Patrick Copland, chap- 
lain of the ship Eoyal James, while the ship was at Cape of 
Good Hope, raised from the gentlemen and mariners on this 
ship seventy pounds, eight shillings, and six pence towards 
building a free school in Virginia. Other subscriptions were 
made to this fund, in all about equal to $4,800. 

A carpenter, Leonard Hudson, and five apprentices were 
sent from England to build the school in 1621. It was 
located in Charles City County at a place now known as City 
Point, in Prince George County. There were donations of 
land for its support. 

In 1634, Ben Sym devised two hundred acres of land on 
Pocosin Eiver, in York County, " with the milk and increase 
of eight milch cows, for the maintenance of a learned honest 
man, to keep upon the land a " free school for the education 
and instruction of the children of the adjoining parishes of 
Elizabeth City and Kicoutan (now Hampton), from St. Mary 



244 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Mount downward to the Pocosin River." In 1675, Henry 
Peaseley established a free school in Gloucester County. 

In 1691, Sir Francis Nicholson established a free school at 
Yorktown. 

In 1693, the William and Mary College was erected in 
Williamsburg. This was the beginning of the schools for the 
higher education in Virginia. 

Before the present free school system was adopted, the 
State provided a fund for the education of the indigent chil- 
dren. Arrangement was made in each county, usually with 
the teachers of the private schools therein, for this tuition, so 
that in nearly every instance, the " pay scholars," and the 
" poor scholars " were taught together, under the same roof, 
and by the same teacher, and " licked with the same switch." 

The Virginian from the earliest days of settlement, after the 
first five years of " joint stock " arrangement, was so forced 
to depend upon his own resources for every item of con- 
venience, comfort, enlightenment, or amusement, which ha 
had a necessity, or desire for, that he looked upon the plan for 
the education of his children to be paid for out of a public 
fund, as degrading dependence. His willingness to provide 
a fund for others to be educated upon that plan was evidenced 
by the fact that such a fund was taxed for and provided from 
the revenues of the State, but he who was able to provide 
otherwise wanted none of this. In fact, the position of the 
well to do Virginian was such that he had everything else 
under his own individual control, from the raising of his 
food, and materials for his clothing, to that of his own grist 
mill to grind his wheat and his corn, and the tan yard for his 
leather, even to the loom that wove his garments. All he 
condescended to ask for outside of these conveniences were a 
few scraps of iron to fashion the tools for his servants. He 
owned the lands, and the farmer who worked them, also the 
tanner, the shoemaker, the weaver, the blacksmith, the mason. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS ^4§ 

the carpenter, the painter, the wood chopper, the sawyer, the 
fisherman, the oysterman, the hunter, and a few more ser- 
vants whose sole duty was to " kepp de flies off Massa while 
he dozed, an' fin' Missus specks fo' huh," as evidenced by the 
following colloquy, which took place when two young negroes 
sought service away from their former master and mistress 
immediately after the Civil War. The lady to whom they 
applied for work asked : " Can you cook ?" 

" No'm, we ain't nevah been cook none ; Polly cooked." 

" Can you wash ?" said the lady. 

"No'm we aint ben wash none neither, Aunt Sally she 
wash !" 

" Can you clean house then ?" was asked. 

" No'm, least we nevah been cleanin' none." 

The lady asked question after question with like negative 
results ; finally she asked : 

" What have you been accustomed to do ?" 

" Sukey, heah, she keep flies off Marster, an' I hunt fo' ol' 
Missus specks." 

Under such conditions, the Tidewater Virginian did not 
care whether school kept or not. He was a veritable Eobin- 
son Crusoe in so far that he was " monarch of all he sur- 
veyed." 

VI. Tidewater Fisheries. 

Nearly all the waters of Virginia, salt and fresh, are more 
or less inhabited by fish, but the great " schools " of fish, 
which sometimes are found assembled together in millions, 
are found in salt waters, or if found in fresh waters are there 
only to deposit their eggs. If not interrupted, many of them 
find their way to the very falls of a stream, where the rough 
and difficult ascent forbids their further journey. They were 
so plentiful in the days when Capt. John Smith made his 
voyage of discovery up the Potomac to " the falls," that his 
crew dipped them from the river in frying pans. 



346 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Since the Civil War, the fishes of the sea have had to con- 
tend also with new industrial methods as did the oyster and 
so scarce have they become in the vicinity in which Smith's 
crew so readily dipped them up with frying pans that one 
who now should depend upon such method of obtaining a 
supply of fish would starve to death in the attempt. 

There are now hundreds of men mounted upon the masts 
of steam and sail vessels, sailing along the Atlantic Coast, 
and within the Chesapeake Bay, all of whom have sharp 
focused spy glasses to their eyes, on the "look out" for the 
finny visitors, which float in such compact " schools " that the 
weight of a single " school " would burst through a seine 
such as would tax the efforts of a strong man to break a single 
strand of. Such " schools " are not allowed to play the 
truant, and gambol very far when once they are sighted. 
They seldom have the chance to reach the falls of any river 
before they are captured. 

To prevent entire extermination of this food commodity 
the United States maintains places where fishes of several 
varieties are artificially hatched and delivered into the waters 
for their supply. 

If the fishes of the sea, which require fresh waters wherein 
to deposit their spawn, are deprved of this privilege their race 
must become extinct. Wisdom upon the part of man should 
permit of this privilege to such an extent as to prevent this 
calamity. 

Before the Civil War there were large " shore fisheries " 
upon the great rivers to supply the markets of cities with 
edible fish. Shad and herring in the season were abundant 
in all the waters, as there were then few fishermen in com- 
parison with the present day, and fewer steamers traveling 
those waters to frighten the fish. With the exception of a 
seine full now and then, seldom were the fish used as fertilizer 
upon the lands, and those so used were cast upon the lands in 
tbeir raw state, and plowed under. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 247 

A "drag seine" was commonly in use for herring and 
shad. The seine was spread out to cover as much space as 
possible and then dragged ashore. Some of the larger shore 
fisheries employed horse power to "wind" the seine ashore. 
The Chesapeake Bay begins at the Capes, — Charles and 
jjenr}^ — with a mouth twelve miles wide, through which the 
great Atlantic Ocean forces its clear waters, without noise or 
struggle, during each flood tide. This usually quiet, calm 
entrance is inviting to the fishes of the sea, and they pour 
through it like school children on a picnic ground, .whole 
" schools " at a time. Here in all directions, when once in- 
side, they find inviting streams in quiet nooks, to shed their 
spawn, to gambol, feed, and nibble at a hook, or share the fate 
of their kind, by being " gilled " or led into a " pound," or 
surrounded by a " seine " on some unsuspecting fishing shore, 
or " pursed " in a net by some roving fishing boat's crew. The 
many methods of capturing fish are too numerous to mention 
here, but the most extensive ways of fishing are by means of 
stationary nets, floating seines, and purse nets. Stationary 
nets are fixed by driving poles in the bottom of a stream, 
usually in the form of a square pen, known as a " pound," to 
which a net is placed all around and on the bottom, and 
fastened by means of rings attached to the poles. An open, 
wide, converging mouth of net leads into the center of the 
pen to a " false pound," and thence into the " main pound," 
where it narrows to a confusing point for the fish, when once 
they get inside it. There are " wings " attached to each end 
of the pound. The wings are formed by driving poles in the 
bottom of the stream, in a long, straight row from the line of 
the pound, and covered with netting, to obstruct the passage 
of the fish, and lead them along to the mouth of the pound as 
they endeavor to find a passage-way up the stream. The nets 
are usually fished each day, by men who attend in small boats, 
or canoes, and haul up the nets from the bottom, so that the 
fish are within reach of the fisherman's scoop-net, and thus 



248 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

they are "scooped in/' regardless of their struggles to free 
themselves from the wily fishermen. 

There are also floating nets, known as "gill nets," which 
are set in a stream and kept afloat by corks. The fish in their 
migrations through the waters, " strike " these nets, and when 
once they run their heads through the ^^ meshes " of the net, 
and extend their gills, they become fastened by the twine of 
the mesh passing under, or behind the gill. 

The greater fisheries are carried on by " seine fishing " on 
shores, and by " purse net fishing " from vessels. A " fishing 
shore " is usually selected because of some natural advantage, 
either from the nature of the river bottom or of some con- 
figuration of the shore limits which would induce the fish to 
" school " at that point. The seine is carried out in boats 
and spread as far as possible and then gradually hauled in to 
the shore, the fishermen wading out to aid in "holding it 
down" until the ends are brought to land, where the whole 
seine is emptied on the shore. This fishing is usually during 
the spawning season, for shad and herring. In fact the best 
fishing season for all species of fish is during the spawning. 

" Purse net " fishing is conducted on a more extensive and 
costly plan than " shore fishing," and in connection with a 
factory on the land, to boil the fish, and extract the oil there^ 
from, and to prepare the " scrap " — the bodies of the fish, for 
fertilizer for agricultural purposes. In some instances, the 
cooking of the fish is done on steamers which follow the 
vessels. This industry is particularly a source of great 
wealth to those engaged in it. The fish caught for this pur- 
pose are known as " ale wives," a species not commonly used 
as human food, though related to both herring and shad, and 
resembling the latter in form and color. It is said they are 
mainly the prey for other fishes. " Big fish eat little fish, and 
little fish eat lesser ones." The ale wives — sometimes called 
menhaden — are very prolific, shedding between sixty thousand 
to one hundred thousand eggs during a season. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 249 

Ale wive fishing is one of the industries introduced into 
Tidewater Virginia since the Civil War. There are about 
fourteen steamers in one small river alone — Great "Wico- 
mico — Northumberland County — engaged in this industry. 
The average tonnage of the vessels engaged is about one hun- 
dred tons each. The purse nets are from one hundred and 
eighty to two hundred fathoms — 1080 feet to 1200 feet — in 
length. The " purse nets " are used to surround the " schools " 
of fish. This is done by dividing the net equally between two 
row boats (purse boats) which are carried for that purpose, 
and when the fish are sighted by the "lookout," who ia 
stationed aloft with a spy-glass, each boat is then manned 
with its crew, who row the boats parallel to each other until 
within " striking " distance of the " school," then they sepa- 
rate and row in a circle to meet each other and surround the 
fish, each boat "paying out" their part of the net as they 
advance until they complete the circle, after which the ends 
of the net are fastened together, and a " Tom " — a ball of 
weighty lead — is thrown overboard to form a fulcrum with 
which to " purse " the net at its bottom. This is done by 
means of a line attached to a ring in the " Tom," and by aid 
of other ropes passed through rings attached to the net on 
bottom and sides. Through this means, the bottom of the 
net, as well as the ends, are brought closely together — 
" pursed " — to form a solid bag, enclosing the fish. 

An important helper in this fishing, is the man known as 
the " striker " or " driver." When a school of fish is sighted, 
the "striker" goes off in his own life boat, and by rowing 
around the " school," he keeps them huddled until the " net 
men " can encircle them. During heavy seas, when the net 
boats are tossed up and down upon the waves, and lose sight 
of the "schools," the " striker " holds aloft his oar as a guide 
to direct them towards the fish. 

It is said that the oil from the " ale wive " has a market 



250 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

value as whale oil, olive oil, neats foot oil, and cod liver oil, 
and is found enclosed in diminutive bottles, with suggestive 
labels, which proclaim its " sure cure " for many ills which 
annoy mankind. 

The average catch at one haul is said to be between 300,000 
and 400,000 fish. The average catch for one steamer in a 
season's fishing is from eight million to ten million, and the 
best about fifteen million fish. The fish yield an average of 
five or six gallons of oil to the thousand. The best average 
is from twelve to fourteen gallons to the thousand fish. It 
takes an average of about 1300 fish to make a ton of " dry 
scrap " fertilizer. This is the fisherman's luck in Tidewater 
Virginia. The ale wive fishery is conducted on the shores of 
the Atlantic Ocean as well as in the inland waters of Virginia. 

The methods of fishing by the Indians differed but little 
from those of the whites of the present day. 

Capt. John Smith relates : " Their fishing is much in 
Boats. These they make of one tree by burning and scratch- 
ing away the coales with stones and shels, till they have made 
it on the form of a Trough. Some of them are an elne (ell) 
deep, and fortie or fiftie foote in length, and some will beare 
40 men, but the most ordinary are smaller, and will bear 10, 
20, or 30, according to their bignesse. Instead of Oares they 
use Paddles and stickes, with which they will row faster than 
our Barges. 

" Betwixt their hands and thighes, their women use to spin, 
the barkes of trees, Deere sinewes, or a kinde of grasse they 
call Pemmenaw, of these they make a thread very even and 
readily. This thread serveth for many uses. As about their 
housing, apparell, as also they make nets for fishing. They 
make also with it lines for angles. Their hookes are either 
bone grated as they noch their arrowes in the forme of a 
crooked pinne or fish hooke, or of the splinter of a bone tyod 
to the clif t of a little stieke, and with the end of the line they 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 251 

tie on the bate. They use also long arrowes tyed to a line, 
wherewith they shoote at fish in the rivers. But they of 
Accawmake use staves like unto javelins headed with bone." 

VII. Oysters. 

Oysters form a staple product of the salt waters of Tide- 
water Virginia. They will not live in continuously fresh 
waters, and in extremely salt waters, they are usually poor. 

In many of the extremely salt water streams upon the 
Eastern Shore peninsula of Virginia, the oystermen provide 
" boxes " or bins, upon the shores for " drinking " the oysters 
before shipment to market. For this purpose, the oysters are 
placed in these boxes and fresh waters from wells or cisterns 
are mingled with the salt waters therein. By this treatment, 
the oysters soon become plump and solid as they would if 
grown in medium salt waters, where they attain their greatest 
perfection. 

The oyster bearing territory of Virginia, and lower Mary- 
land, including lower Chesapeake Bay, is the best in the 
United States for growing finely flavored, healthy oysters, 
free from contamination of sewerage, and within reach of 
enough pure, fresh waters to create good growth. iFrom 
Alexandria, Virginia, down the full length of the Potomac 
River, to its mouth at Smith's point, and thence continued 
down the broad Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk, Virginia, a total 
distance of about two hundred miles, there is not a single city 
or town within the whole length of territory, and therefore no 
sewerage to contaminate these pure, clean waters. 

Oysters are very prolific and it is estimated by authority 
that a good sized oyster will produce several millions of spawn- 
eggs during the season. A very large percentage of spawn 
fails to mature because of absence of proper fertilization, or 
dies before it " catches " in a suitable place. If the locality 
in which the spawn settles is suitable, then in about four or 



253 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

five years' growth from the time of " catch " they will mature 
to oysters fit for market. 

Shifting, sandy bottoms, or very soft, oozy bottoms, are not 
suited to the " catch " of spawn, or the growth of the oyster. 
Spawn requires a clean, hard, stationary substance to adhere 
to. To aid in " catching spawn," fresh oyster shells are scat- 
tered over the oyster grounds during the spawning season, 
which usually begins in this section about the first, to the 
middle of April, and ends about September. Spawn cannot 
catch upon shells or other substances which have become 
coated with slime. As many as five to ten spawn may settle 
upon, and mature upon one empty shell. 

There are about 1,488,000 acres of water surface in the 
State of Virginia, or within its control, including that part of 
Chesapeake Bay from Cape Charles and Henry to Smith's 
Point, at the mouth of Potomac Eiver, and thence across said 
bay to Pocomoke Eiver, the boundary of Accomac County on 
the water's side. 

The far greater part of Virginia's water surface is situated 
in the tidewater section, and the larger part of these tide- 
waters were oyster bearing territory when Virginia was first 
settled. The rapid depleting of these immense oyster beds 
did not begin until after the Civil War, when the canning of 
oysters was first introduced. Prior to that period nearly all 
the streams in that section through which the salt waters 
ebbed and flowed, were most bountifully supplied with this 
article of food, and in the lowermost peninsulas clams were 
also abundant. The waters then were open to the public, 
excepting coves within the survey of private lands. 

Since the Civil War, the State maintains a supervision over 
the oyster territory by means of a " Board of Survey," and by 
" Inspectors," who issue licenses upon payment of certain fees 
for "catching" by tongs, dredges or otherwise; they also 
allot bottoms to private individuals, upon certain conditions. 



LANDS AND PKODUCTS 253 

to plant upon, for which an annual rental per acre is 
exacted by the State. 

Other portions of the oyster bearing bottoms, known as 
" Natural Oyster Eock " are open to the public under certain 
restrictions of law to catch oysters from, but not for planting 
purposes. 

A natural oyster rock is seldom a rocJc. It is but a term 
applied to places where oysters are found in abundance, or 
in clusters which were produced from the spawn settling 
thereon, and growing naturally, without being transplanted. 
No part of the Potomac Eiver is subject to individual allot- 
ment by either of the two States, Virginia and Maryland. 
Though Maryland claims the waters of this river to low water 
mark upon the Virginia shores, nevertheless they are open to 
the inhabitants of both States for oystering only, and not for 
individual planting bottoms, subject also to certain conditions 
made by each State separately for their respective inhabitants. 

Dredging, and tonging are carried on in these waters 
during certain specified months of the year. Wherever a bed 
of oysters is found, the dredge boats flock to, and usually 
scrape its bottom free of all marketable stock before quitting 
its territory. It is asserted by some authorities that dredging 
the oyster bottoms has a beneficial effect through scattering 
them over a wider area, and by others it is asserted that the 
destruction of young oysters by the dredge is very great. 

As the Potomac Eiver and Chesapeake Bay are the main 
spawning grounds for all their tributaries within both States, 
Maryland and Virginia, the importance of keeping these 
waters well stocked with adult oysters should claim the atten- 
tion of the planters who are engaged in this industry. It 
would add to the increase of the oysters, if, by agreement by 
both States, certain 'defined, limited territory of the Potomac 
Eiver and the Chesapeake Bay were closed to dredging during 
alternate years. 



354 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The increased shipments of this product from Virginia 
during recent years have largely diminished the supply. 

Before the recent enactment of laws prescribing the size of 
oysters to be taken from the waters, they were shipped with- 
out " culling," both for planting purposes in other States, and 
for consumption in the cities. They were culled only after 
reaching the cities, and those too small for human consump- 
tion were dumped upon the shell piles to die, and became waste 
instead of being returned to their natural beds. 

There has been a woful waste in all of nature's products in 
America since its first settlement, and Virginia has given its 
share to form this waste. The wild fowl were so plentiful in 
that section in comparatively recent years, that they were 
readily captured by hundreds at a time in single pens, sur- 
rounded by nets, to which they were decoyed by strewing corn 
over the bottoms of the waters leading thereto, or were killed 
by dozens at a single shot, with big bow guns while in flocks 
upon the feeding grounds. This great abundance was then 
disposed of with little profit to the oysterman or hunter. 

The oyster feeds during flood tide only. This is demon- 
strated by catching oysters upon the teeth of the oyster tongs 
while their shells are open during flood tide, and not during 
ebb tide, except when the oyster is weak and not able to close 
its shell. 

It is asserted that they throw off their spawn at the com- 
mencement of the flood tide. This inflow of the tide forces 
the spawn up stream from the spawning bed. If this asser- 
tion be correct, it would be useful for planters to place their 
breeding oysters at the mouths of the streams so as to meet 
the incoming tide, which would in the event carry and dis- 
tribute the spawn throughout their entire waters. 

There are enemies of the oyster besides man, the most de- 
structive of which is the " Starfish," which an authority de- 
scribes as being able to surround the young oyster and by 



Lands and products 255 

gradually breaking its tender shell at the mouth, to insert its 
stomach and absorb the oyster. 

There is a difference of opinion upon this subject. An old 
oysterman tells how the starfish kills the oyster : 

" Crawlin' ^round the bottom of the river the star acci- 
dentally gets afoul of a bed of oysters. He don't know at first 
mebbe what they are. Pokin' 'round 'mongst 'em he acci- 
dentally, as it were, gets the end of one of his arms into an 
open shell an' the oyster, of course, shets down on him like a 
thousan' o' bricks. Now sir, the star can't get away even if 
he's sorry that he got in a hole, but the oyster can't live but a 
little while with its shell open, an' after a few hours he's dead. 
Then he lets up an' the star who's bin waitin' all this time for 
his lunch makes a meal offen him right there, talces him on 
the half shell in his own gravy as it were." 

The bottoms of Virginia waters are not conducive to the 
growth of the starfish, and it is therefore not a great pest 
there. Oysters are " caught " from the waters by dredges, 
scrapers, tongs, and nippers. Sail boats use dredges, or 
scrapers. Men in small boats, such as canoes, or skiffs use 
tongs, or nippers. Dredges and scrapers are permitted only 
in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac Eiver. Tongs are used 
where oysters are comparatively plentiful, and nippers only 
where they lie singly and far apart from each other. The tongs 
have a capacity of a peck or more. But one oyster can be 
taken at a time with nippers. Nippered oysters are generally 
of a superior grade, large and fat, and can be caught only in 
clear, calm, and shallow waters where the oysterman can see 
the bottom as he shoves his boat along the waters in search. 

There are many classes of boats engaged in the oyster in- 
dustry in Virginia, amongst which are schooners, sloops, 
pungeys, bugeyes, skipjacks, flattys, brogans, and canoes. 
The first two named vessels are common to all the navigable 
streams of this country. The last six are generally local to 
the oyster and fishing sections. They are distinguished by the 



256 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

shape and construction of their hulls, or the cut of their sails. 
The schooner and sloop have "waists," the last six named 
have " logs/' or " washboards." The bugeye is a flat bottom, 
center-board schooner of three to fifteen tons, built of heavy 
timber without a frame, but decked over without a waist. 
The " waist " consists of a boarded railing extending over the 
outward edge of the deck. A "log" is a square beam of 
wood but a few inches in height and width, and like the waist 
extends around the whole deck. A "washboard" forms a 
deck but a few inches wide around the upper edges of the 
boat. It is supported to the sides by suitable small knees 
underneath. 

Surely if Uncle Sam has urgent need for good sailors, he 
should send his naval recruiting officers to Tidewater Vir- 
ginia. A large number of the people inhabiting the tide- 
water counties, from earliest youth to old age, have had ex- 
perience with boats of all sizes and shapes, from the " dug- 
out " to the " coasting schooner " while engaged in oystering, 
fishing, or freighting. Dredging oysters in a fleet of sail 
boats on a " natural oyster rock " is a good school for teach- 
ing one how to maneuver a vessel in a close place. 

VIII. Food Products or Tidewater Virginia. 

No section of the United States of similar extent produces 
a greater variety of food for human consumption than can be 
found in Tidewater Virginia. Excepting the citric fruits, all 
the several classes of fruits, and vegetables which are grown 
in any other part of North America, can be, and are grown in 
some part or other of this territory. The soil is light, and can 
be cultivated with one horse power, except upon the clay bottom 
lands, adjacent to the rivers. The winters are mild, and 
usually short, and the warmth of the Gulf Stream is mani- 
fested in the early spring vegetation there. 

Some of the " truck farms " almost within sight of James- 



LANDS AND PKODUCTS 257 

town, ship annually each thousands of barrels of early pota- 
toes — sweet and Irish — and other vegetables to the Eastern 
and Western markets, thereby supplying hundreds of thou- 
sands of the inhabitants of the United States with abundance 
of food from the same lands where the early colonists, though 
but few in number, starved to death from need of such 
products. 

The Virginia sweet potatoes are famous for their good 
flavor. These " sweets " are always selected by the negro to 
dish with his fattened " possum and gravy." The reader who 
objects to an excessive accumulation of saliva about his lips, 
must refrain from witnessing a Tidewater Virginia negro 
" soppin' sweet 'tater in possum gravy." 

In parts of this section, there is grown a cantaloupe which 
competes successfully with the " Eockyford " cantaloupe of 
Colorado. The Eastern shore of Virginia, and the Norfolk 
Peninsula are justly famous for " truck farming." There 
are several hundreds of acres in Lancaster County cultivated 
by the noted " Landreth firm " of seed growers, which pro- 
duce abundantly the several varieties of garden seeds to 
supply their trade throughout the country. 

If all the lands of Tidewater Virginia were devoted to fruit 
and " truck farming," to which they are best adapted, enough 
could be raised there to feed the nation. Speedy transporta- 
tion, connecting the whole section with the outside markets, 
is in urgent need. As it is now, about one-half of the landis 
are " turned out " to woods, or in " old fields." 

Tidewater Virginia is famous for fried chicken. The old 
black mammies of Virginia can prepare fried chicken to '^ the 
Queen's taste." 

Thos. Hariot, one of the gentleman colonists to go to 
Eoanoke Island, wrote: 

" Pagatown, a kind of graine so called by the inhabitants ; 
the same in the West Indies is called Mayze ; Englishmen call 
it Guiney wheate or Turkic wheate." 
17 



S58 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

"Wee made of the same in the countrey some mault 
whereof was brued as good ale as was to be desired." 

Corn meal is a very essential food product in Virginia, and 
when ground in a country water power grist mill, it is far 
superior to the meal ground by the heavy and rapid power 
steam mill. The latter mill grinds the meal too fine, and so 
rapidly as to heat it unduly, and thereby make it stiff and 
doughy. 

From corn meal are made many delicious breads, such as 
corn pone, egg bread, cracklin bread, ash cake, Johnny 
(Journey) cake, and hoe cake. 

Corn pone consists of corn meal with water sufficient to 
m.oisten, and salt sufficient to season it. Egg bread, or as it 
is sometimes called, batter bread, consists of corn meal, eggs, 
sweet and sour milk, soda and salt, Cracklin bread was com- 
posed of corn meal and cracklins, mixed with salt and water, 
and rolled in an oval shaped cake. " Cracklins " are the parts 
left from the boilings of meat scraps while making lard, and 
when separated from the lard by straining in a colander are 
dry and crisp. 

These several breads were baked in a " Bread Oven," a 
thick cast iron, circular vessel, with straight, upright sides, 
upon which were two loop handles attached, to which pot 
hooks were inserted when lifted or carried. It sat upon 
three legs, and was covered with a heavy cast iron lid, upon 
top of which was also a loop handle to insert an iron " lifter." 
For purposes of cooking, live coals of wood, and hot ashes 
were placed beneath the oven and upon the lid, thus enabling 
the contents to be cooked top, and bottom, at one and the 
same time. All implements for cookery in the old fashioned 
fire places had three legs, to lift them above the ashes and 
coals. 

Ash cake is made with corn meal, salt and water, and rolled 
in a ball, covered with cabbage leaves and placed in hot ashes 
and small live coals to bake. 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 259 

Johnny (Journey) cake, and hoe cake were of the same 
composition as the ash cake. The Johnny cake was placed 
upon an oak board and set up against live coals, and hard 
baked, for "keeping on a journey," when taverns were few 
and far between. 

The hoe cake was placed upon the blade of the cornfield, or 
tobacco hilling hoe, with the shank of the hoe down, and set 
before the live coals. This was the negro bachelor's usual 
mode of cooking bread. 

All breads were mixed in homemade wooden bread trays, 
which were gouged out of blocks of gum, or poplar woods. 

Maize or Indian corn is indigenous to America, and is com- 
paratively but little used in Europe even at this date. 

The colonists got their first taste of Indian corn bread at 
the Indian village of Kecoughtan — now Hampton — on April 
30, 1607, " where they were regaled by the Indians with corn 
bread, tobacco and a dance." 

Captain Smith described the Indian mode of cooking corn 
bread as follows: 

" Their corne they rost in the eare green, and bruising it in 
a mortar of wood with a Polt, lappe it in rowles in leaves of 
their corne, and so boyle it for a daintie. They also reserve 
that corne late planted that will not ripe, by resting it in hot 
ashes. Their old corne they first steep a night in hot water, 
in the morning pounding it in a mortar. They use a small 
basket for their temmes, then pound again the great and so 
separating by dashing their hand in the basket, recause the 
flower in a platter made of wood scraped to that forme with 
burning and shells. Tempering this flower with water, they 
make it either in cakes covering them with ashes till they bee 
baked, and then washing them in faire water they drie pres- 
ently with their own heat; or else boyle them in water eating 
their broth with the bread which they call Ponap." 

Hog and hominy are associate dishes of food in Tidewater 
Virginia during the late fall and winter months. While 



260 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

fresh meats were abundant, it was usually a rainy day 30b to 
_"beat hominy." The beating was done in a "hominy mor- 
tar/' a gum log about three and a half feet in height, the top 
of which was dug out with an adze, and the inside surface 
then slightly charred with fire, and afterwards cleanly and 
smoothly scraped. Hard, flinty grains of corn were selected, 
and when they were placed within the mortar, a small quantity 
of boiling water was poured over them, and the mortar cov- 
ered with a cloth for a short period to permit of the corn 
being steamed, and thereby softening and loosening the husk 
of the grain which soon thereafter sheds during the beating. 

The beating of hominy was done by pounding down upon 
the mass of corn with a wooden pestle of well seasoned gum 
wood. After beating sufficiently, the hominy was placed in a 
wooden tray and thrown up in the air, the falling motion of 
the grain back into the tray blew the " hulls " out and thus 
separated the two. 

Hominy prepared in this manner is a delicious food, far 
superior to that ground in a mill. The grains come out of 
the operation nearly whole, and cleansed of all their hulls. 

The hog is not indigenous to America, but is the issue of 
stock brought from England. After the settlements were 
well extended throughout tidewater many of these animals 
escaped from the settlers into the forests, and finally became 
so wild as to prevent capture otherwise than by shooting them. 
Their increase, which was rapid, was deemed a fortunate cir- 
cumstance as wild game was rapidly disappearing farther be- 
yond reach. Knowing the experience which the first set- 
tlers — their forefathers — had with famine and the distress 
caused by starvation, the general assembly for protection 
against such calamity forbade by law the killing of wild hogs, 
except as a reward for killing wolves, wherein " a hog might 
be shot for every wolf killed." Severe punishments were pro- 
vided for violations of this law. 

Up to the period of the passage of the " no fence law," 



Lands and products 36l 

there was in every county a large amount of land known as 
" in the commons/' because it was without either fence or 
tillage. Such lands were used as common pasturage by the 
public for their cattle and hogs, without protest by the indi- 
vidual owners of these lands. 

Before hogs were " turned out in the commons " they were 
marked with a " slit " or a " crop " of the ears so as to identify 
them to their owners. 

His left ear's cropp'd 
His right ear's slit, 
When you see my hog, 
You may know it's it. 

Hogs when left in the commons for a season become quite 
shy, and are difficult to approach. AVhen needed for penning 
and fattening they are " tolled " first by scattering corn within 
their range until they become accustomed to the feeding. A 
pen of poles is then built in the vicinity with a polegate way, 
and the gate is so adjusted as to fall when they enter. Corn 
is then scattered around, and into the pen at a certain hour 
of the day, and thus continued for several days, or until the 
animals become accustomed to enter the pen. At a proper 
time, the gate is adjusted to fall into place and enclose them. 

For a short while after the hog is " turned out in the com- 
mons " he is given small feeds of corn. By the time his 
allowance is shortened to a standstill, the hog has learned that 
his owner cannot longer be depended upon for a further 
si'pply of food, and that he' must thereafter " root hog or die." 
From that day on the animal leads a strenuous life by keeping 
his nose to the ground in search of wild berries, acorns, chin- 
quopins, and edible roots, and in due time he develops upon 
his uncertain rations into a bundle of bones, muscle, hide and 
bristles. As he is too lean to shoot, can outrun a negro, or 
fight a dog to a finish, he is then classed a " Pine Eooter," and 
is safe and undisturbed until his owner " tolls " him. When 



262 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

cuch a hog is alarmed he has the muscular power to raise the 
bristles upon his back bone^ and can keep them in that posi- 
tion at his will. When the " pine rooter " has his bristles 
elevated on his back to " a fine point " he is then a " Eazor 
Back/' because his back appears to be as sharp as a razor. 

The main meat products of a Tidewater Virginia farmer 
are derived from the hog, and the finest flavored and most 
healthy meats are produced from " Pine Eooters " and 
" Eazor Backs." Wlien such hogs are penned and given 
abundance of corn they fatten rapidly into the solid and ten- 
der meat which has made an unsurpassed reputation for it- 
self. 

The hams, shoulders, and middlings are cured with dry 
salt, well rubbed in with a slight admixture of salt petre. 

Meats cured in this manner have not the flabby, and watery 
condition which are such prominent features of the slaughter 
house products cured in hrine. 

After the meats are sufficiently cured in salt, they are 
rubbed with black pepper, brown sugar, or molasses, and 
hickory wood ashes, and smoked with hickory chips, or corn 
cobs. The smoking is done leisurely so that the curing and 
smoking may penetrate the whole piece. Meats prepared in 
this manner will keep sound and wholesome for almost in- 
definite time. 

There are many other products of the hog, among which 
are the " country sausage." This is made from " scraps of 
parings " when shaping hams, shoulders, and middlings, and 
is composed of fat and lean meats well blended together, and 
when properly seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage makes a 
deliciously appetizing and healthy food. 

Unlike the slaughter house product of skin, gristle, muscle, 
and lean "scraps," the country sausage of Tidewater Vir- 
ginia does not require an addition of lard to fry it, nor a 
sharp tooth to masticate it. 

Chittlins (Chitterlings) are composed of the entrails of the 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 3G3 

hog, well cleansed in repeated solutions of salt and water for 
several days. They are then thoroughly boiled in clear water, 
and afterwards laid down in stone jars and covered with 
apple vinegar. 

When eaten, they were usually fried and served hot with 
batter bread. Owing to its more or less strong odors, this 
dish is not relished by some persons. 

A Yankee traveler from " Down East " stopped at a Tide- 
water Virginia tavern for breakfast, and was handed a dish 
of hot, fried chittlins which he slightingly refused, and when 
asked what else he wished, called for " cod fish balls." 

" Stranger," said the landlord, " I've heard of such eat- 
ables up in town, but we don't have 'em down yere kase we 
couldn't bear the smell of 'em." 

There are dishes of food which the Tidewater Virginian 
would refuse even at the peril of starvation, among them are 
cod fish, sour krout, limberger cheese, baked beans, or apple 
pie for breakfast. 

There may be times of scarcity in some of the food commo- 
dities in Tidewater Virginia, but never a period of starvation 
since the first few colonists learned to look beneath the sur- 
face of the soil, and into its adjacent waters for Nature's 
abundant stores which awaited the touch of the industrious, 
but intelligent hand to bring them within reach. 

A reference to the commodities shipped in the early years 
from Virginia, would indicate that the colonists had not 
learned to till the soil to advantage, as there was not one 
agricultural product amongst these early shipments. They 
were the products of the forest and the water. 

The first cargo shipped by the colony was glittering dirt- 
sulphuret of antimony — taken by ISTewport on his return 
from the second trip to Virginia. Soon after Newport's de- 
parture, the Phoenix — the vessel of Nelson who accompanied 
Newport from England, but was blown back to the "West 
Indies— arrived with some of the provisions which he had 



264: LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

saved. The coionists desired him to also load gold dirt for a 
return cargo, but Smith succeeded in loading the vessel with 
cedar instead. This was the first valuable cargo sent from 
Virginia to England. 

On June 22, 1610, the Council in Virginia wrote the 
Council in London regarding the shipment of sassafras roots 
by the sailors of the returning ship : " Our easiest and richest 
commodity being sassafras rootes were gathered upp by the. 
sailors with losse and spoile of our tools and withdrawing of 
our men from our labour, to their uses againste our knowledge 
to our prejudice, we earnestlie entreat you (and doe truste) 
that you take order as we be not thus defrauded, since they 
be all waged men, yet doe wee wishe that they be reasonablie 
dealt withall so as all losse, neither fall on us nor them. I 
believe they have thereof two townes (tons?) at the leasts 
wicli if they scatter abroad at their pleasure will pull down 
our price for a long time, this we leave to your wisdomes." 

The colonists were instructed how to prepare things fqr 
shipment to England: 

" Small sassafras rootes to be drawn in the winter and 
dryed and none to be meddled with in the summer, and it is 
worth £50 and better per Towne." 

" Baye beries are to be gathered when they turn blacke 
Worth per Towne £12." 

" Poccone to be gotten from the Indians, worth per Towne 
£100. 

" Galbrand groweth like fennell in fashion. You must cut 
it in May or June, x x to be cut in small pieces and pressed 
in your small presses which were sent over for oyle, the juice 
thereof is to be saved and put in casks, which will be wurthe 
here per Towne £100 at leaste." 

" Sarsaparila is a root that runneth within the ground like 
unto Licoras. The roote is to be pulled up and dryed and 
bound up in bundles like Faggott. It is vrurthe per Towne 
£200." 



LANDS AND PRODUCTS 265 

" Walnut oyle is worth here £30 per Towne and the like is 

chestnut oyle and checkinkamyne oil" (chinquopin). 

" Wyne a hogshead or two sower as it should be sent for a 
sample, and some of the grapes packed in sande." 

" Silk grasse, should be sent in quantity." 

"Bever Codd is likewise to be cutt and dryed and will 
yeald here 5s per lb " — supposed to be yellow pond lily. 

"Beaver skynnes being taken in winter tyme will yeald 
great profit, the like with Otter skynnes." 

" Oak and walnutt tree is best to be cut in the winter, the 
oak to be cleaven into clapborde, but the walnutt tree to be 
let lye " — in logs. 

" Pyne trees, or furre trees are to be wounded within a 
yarde of the grounde, or boare a hole with an Agar the thirde 
parte into the tree, and let it run into anything that may re- 
ceive the same and that which issues out will be Turpentine 
worthe £18 per Towne." 

" Pitche and Tarre hath been made there. And we doubt 
not wil be agayne, and some sent for a sample, your owne 
turnes being first served." 

" Sturgion which was last sent, came ill conditioned, not 
being well boyled, if it were cut in small pieces, and powdred 
put up in caske, the heads pickled by themselves and sent 
hither it would do farr better." 

" Eowes of the said Sturgeon make Cavearie according to 
instructions formerly given." 

" Sounds of the said Sturgion will make Isinglass worth 
here £6, 13s, 4d per 100 pounds." 

" Cavearie well conditioned £40 per 100 pounds." 

These instructions were sent by the Company to Virginia 
in 1610. Consider the changes in 300 years. According to 
railroad statisticians, the grain crop of the United States for 
the year 1905, will aggregate 1,500,000 car loads. Dividing 
this into trains of forty cars each, there would be required 
37,500 locomotives, which together with the cars would extend 



266 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

end to end a total distance of 13,286 miles. These figures 
are estimates only of the grain which will be moved to market 
centers on steam roads. It is stated that probably not more 
than one third of the grain, consisting of corn, oats, wheat, 
barley and rye produced in that year will ever enter a freighi: 
car. The other two thirds will be hauled to local mills in 
wagons, or be consumed by live stock on the farms. To haul 
the corn crop alone would require a train of 21,000 miles in 
length. 



CHAPTER XX 
Life and Customs. 



I. Religion. 



The first permanent English settlement in America, was 
begun by Church of England men, and during the age of 
religious intolerance and persecution throughout the Christian 
world. Lord Baltimore, a Catholic nobleman, came to Vir- 
ginia to seat a colony but upon being presented with the 
"oath of allegiance and supremacy" to the Church of Eng- 
land, he refused, and made the settlement in Maryland. 

Until about the date of the Revolutionary War, the Church 
of England controlled the colony. Many of the first acts of 
assembly relate to provision for that church. It was required 
by law that in every settlement in which the people met to 
worship God, a house should be appointed for that purpose. 
Glebe lands were laid off and the country divided into 
parishes, and the minister's salary provided for from the best 
(sweet scented) tobacco, and corn. 
\ By an act of the Assembly, 1623-4 it was decreed. 

" That no man dispose of any of his tobacco before the 
minister be satisfied, upon pain of forfeiture double his part 
of the ministers means, and one man of every plantation to 
collect his means of the first and best tobacco and corn." 
^. Penalties were imposed for absence during divine service 
on Sunday, without sufficient excuse, and a clause was added 
forbidding profanation of that day by traveling or work. 
'^ The compulsory payment of ministers was abandoned about 
1658, though no act of religious freedom was passed until the 
legislature of 1785 passed an act establishing religious free- 
dom, and subsequently repealed all laws which recognized the 
t" Protestant Episcopal Church" as the legal establishment. 
The glebe lands, and all other church property, was then 
vested in the overseer of the poor for charitable purposes, re- 

[267] 



268 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

serving only to the living incumbents an estate for life, and 
exempting the church buildings from confiscation. There 
are many of the old colonial churches yet standing throughout 
Tidewater Virginia. They are nearly all of the same style of 
architecture, substantially built of brick, the mortar between 
which appears to be nearly as solid and lasting as the brick 
itself. 

The Baptists are now the most numerous religious sect in 
Tidewater Virginia. The Methodists are the next in num- 
bers. The Church of England has now a comparative few 
adherents in that section. The Baptists were said to be very 
loyal during the Revolutionary War. They tendered the ser- 
vices of their ministers in promoting the enlistment of the 
youth of their religious persuasion, and were prominent in 
efforts to secure religious freedom. They sent many petitions 
to the legislature of their State, asking for religious freedom, 
amongst which is the following in verse : 

" To the Honorable General Assembly " 

" The Humble Petition of a Country Poet." 

" Now liberty is all the plan, 
The chief pursuit of every man 
Whose heart is right, and fills the mouth 
Of patriots all, from North to South. 

" May a poor bard, from bushes sprung, 
Who yet has but to rustics sung. 
Address your honorable House, 
And not your angry passions rouse? 

"Hark! for awhile your business stop; 
One word into your ears I'll drop; 
No longer spend your needless pains, 
To mend and polish o'er our chains, 
But break them off before you rise. 
Nor disappoint our watchful eyes. 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 269 

" What say great Washington and Lee? 
' Our Country is, and must be free'. 

What say great Henry, Pendleton, 

And Liberty's minutest son? 

'Tis all one voice — they all agree, 
' God made us, and we must be free'. 

Freedom we crave with every breath, 

An equal freedom, or a death. 

" The heavenly blessing freely give, 
Or make an Act we shall not live; 
Tax all things; water, air, and light. 
If need be; yea, tax the night. 
But let our brave heroic minds 
Move freely as Celestial winds. 

" Make vice and folly your rod. 
But leave our consciences to God; 
Leave each man free to choose his form 
Of piety, nor at him frown. 

" And he who minds the Civil law. 
And keeps it whole without a flaw. 
Let him, just as he pleases, pray. 
And seek for heav'n in his own way; 
And if he miss, we all must own 
No man is wrong'd but he alone." 

The first Baptist church of the colony was at Burley, Isle 
of Wight County, in 1714. In many of the counties, im- 
prisonment was inflicted upon the ministers of this sect 
almost up to the date of the Revolution. A notable instance 
was the imprisonment of Eev. John Waller forty-six days in 
the jail at Urbanna, a town established by law in 1705, in 
Middlesex County. Eev. John Waller was the first Baptist 
preacher in that county. He was born in Spottsylvania 
County in 1741, and in early youth was said to be addicted to 
every species of wickedness, and was known as " Swearing 
Jack Waller," and the "Devil's Adjutant." His conversion 



370 LIFE IN OLD VIUGINIA 

was brought about through the meekness of a resident of his 
native county, who was tried and convicted for preaching the 
Baptist faith, by a jury of which Mr. Waller was a member. 
In 1773, Mr, Waller removed to South Carolina where he died 
in 1802. 

Eeligious intolerance is a memory only of the long past in 
Tidewater Virginia, as elsewhere generally throughout the 
world. 

The quiet of country life is more conducive to morality and 
to the greater reverence for religion than is usually found in 
the city life. The evening talks of the assembled family 
around the country fireside make lasting impressions upon 
the youthful listeners, and tends to strengthen their morals 
against temptations which future years may bring before 
them. 
h> Eeligious worship entails self-denial of worldly things. 
■ "WTien it is conducted in the open field, or in the forest, there 
is an added air of sanctity and sincerity which partakes less of 
the machine worship held in the gilded cathedral of the city 
where cushioned seats, and many other comforts abound, and 
fashion displays its best models. 

The groves were Gods first temples. Ere man learned 

To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, 

And spread the roof above them — ere he framed 

The lofty vault, to gather and roll back, 

The sound of anthems; in the darkling wood; 

Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down, 

And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks 

And supplication. 

There are three camp meeting grounds in the " Northern 
Neck " peninsula. Two of them belong to the Baptists. The 
one named " Kirkland," in honor of a deceased beloved 
minister named "Kirk," is distant from Heathsville, the 
county seat of Northumberland, about one and one-half miles. 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 271 

It is situated on a well-drained knoll, in a grove of oak, 

hickory, chestnut and maple trees. The " tents " are built of 
wood, two stories in height, fancifully and tastefully designed, 
and arranged in blocks, or squares with space for walks, or 
" streets " between each square. The Tabernacle, constructed 
of wood, in the form of a square, is open upon all sides, and 
contains comfortable pine benches. The camp is in the midst 
of a dense forest which is reached through by-roads, and is be- 
yond the sight of a public highway, or dwelling place, and 
far from all sounds excepting those of primitive nature. 

The " Katy Dids " enliven the scene in the summer's eve 
by their soft rasping melodies, and the squirrels build their 
nests in the trees, and scamper through the grounds in the 
daylight to gather their winter's store of acorns, which in the 
season are plentifully distributed over the land. Solemnity 
is added to the prayers of the congregation by the hooting owl, 
which sits perched upon some monarch of the forest whose 
limbs are so paralyzed as to shed their bark, and afford a 
firm foothold for this bird of solemn voice. 

During the moonlight nights, the sweet notes of the wild 
mocking birds are chanted heavenward from the neighboring 
forests in unison with the fervent hymns of the congregation. 

" Marvin Grove," the camp of the Methodists, is located in 
Richmond County, distant from Warsaw, the county seat of 
justice, fourteen or fifteen miles, and is also within a dense 
forest. It is located upon one side of a main road, on the 
ridge, or backbone, of this peninsula, in what is locally known 
as the " Forest " or " Quinton Oak." Before the Civil War, 
this was the principal section in which the less wealthy in- 
habitants were located, and where the greater number of 
" Old Field Schools " were found. The main public roads of 
this section are not deeply worn by constant travel. For 
many miles in some directions, they resemble " Indian trails " 
through the woods, and are as quiet, silent, and lonely for 
succeeding days as when the aboriginal Indian softly trod 



272 LIFE IN" OLD VIRGINIA 

there in his moccasins, in pursuit of the game which was sd 
abundant in his day. 

Attached to each camp are frame "boarding tents," open 
upon all sides and containing tables and benches of pine lum- 
ber. The floors of these " tents " are kept covered with pine 
saw-dust, the healthy, and peculiar aroma of which fills the 
surrounding atmosphere. 

A quiet and orderly deportment is demanded at these seve- 
ral camp grounds as elsewhere throughout Tidewater Vir- 
ginia. 

MARVIN GROVE CAMP MEETING. 

Religious Services. 

Morning Prayers at Six and a-half o'clock. Prayer and Ex- 
perience Meeting at 9 o'clock. Preaching at 11 A. M., and at 3 
and 8 P. M. 

Order at Religious Services. 

It is expected that no person will sit or talk in front of any 
tent during any religious service. 

It is expected that there will be no moving or standing about 
the grounds during any religious service. 

It is expected that there will be no smoking at or around tho 
Tabernacle during any religious service. 

Order on the Grounds. 

At sound of the bell at 6 A. M., persons are requested to rise 
and prepare for morning prayer. 

At sound of the bell, about half an hour after the close of the 
services at night, it is expected that all persons will retire within 
the tents and that loud talking and laughter will cease. 

No one will be permitted to remain under the Tabernacle after 
the close of services at night. 

All persons, who by quiet and orderly conduct and behavior, 
are willing to lend their aid to the success of the meeting, 
and no others, are respectfully invited to attend. 

An efficient police, appointed according to law, will be con- 
stantly in attendance, and while it is confidently hoped and 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 273 

expected that there will be no need for their services, yet should 
ill-disposed persons be present and make it necessary to do so, 
those in charge of the meeting will not shrink from the duty of 
enforcing the law; though they think they can trust to the sense 
of propriety and gentlemanly instincts of their visitors for the 
maintenance of good order. Such other rules as may be neces- 
sary will be made known from time to time. 

Marvin Grove Camp Ground Committee. 

" Wharton Grove " Baptist camp stands upon the banks of 
the Curritoman Eiver, in Lancaster Count3% in a pretty grove 
of timber. It is easily approached by boats, and therefore 
can readily be visited by persons on both banks of the Eappa- 
hannock Eiver. 

Eeligious services are held on these several camp grounds 
by one or the other of the religious sects, during either July 
or August. They usually end with a goodly number of com- 
municants added to their membership. 

The camps are largely attended by the residents of the adja- 
cent counties, and also by many visitors from the nearby 
cities in Virginia, and from Baltimore, Alexandria, and 
Washington. 

The several grounds were well selected for summer use, 
with abundance of shade, and good water. They would make 
delightful, healthy summer resorts. 

When camp meetings and protracted meetings begin, then 
one hears many stories as to food and drink. Every old 
Tidewater Virginia hen learns when the season of camp meet- 
ing is at hand, and it is irreverently stated that she keeps her 
weather eye open on the lookout for gentlemen with plain, 
black raiment, and straight-stand-up collars, and high cut 
vests. Whenever the negro chaps are seen scampering around 
the dwelling house lawn in breathless haste, with their heads 
bowed down, and their arms outstretched each one running in 
opposite direction to the other, and occasionally squat flat 

• 18 



274 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

with lightning-like rapidity upon the earth, and grab, as it 
were, at a shadow, and feathers fly in the air, and a squawk of 
distress is heard, one may know that camp meeting is at hand, 
or there is a preacher in the " Great House," and that fried 
chicken will be one of the many delicious ingredients of the 
bountiful repast offered him. 

A negro mammy was asked if fried chicken was healthy 
food : " Suttin'ly dey is," she replied, " Wy honey, some o' 
dem Mef odis preachers doa'n nevah eet nothin' else " ceptin ' 
fried chicken an' egg pone w'en dey comes to ol' Missus table. 
Ef it war'nt fitten to eet, yo' knows dey wouldn't look so fat 
an' good looking' as dey is." 

In the olden time camp meeting, the congregation was 
summoned to prayer by loud blasts of a large tin horn, which 
awoke the echoes of the forests in tones that suggested strong 
lungs behind its wide open mouth. It is related that a 
pranky sinner once played a trick upon the sedate, and pious 
minister who was officiating at a successful revival held in a 
primitive " bush arbor " meeting. This sinner secretly con- 
veyed to the camp a can full of soft soap, and while the 
minister's attention was directed from the platform upon 
which a big tin horn was placed, he filled it to overflowing 
with the juicy essence of lye and soap grease, replaced it care- 
fully where found, got beyond its reach, and gleefully awaited 
results. It appeared that the minister was detained longer 
than anticipated, and upon noting the hour, he hastily 
ascended the platform, hurriedly picked up the horn, and 
with full inflated lungs blew with all his force into it. The 
assembled worshippers who were already seated contiguous to 
the platform, received the contents of the horn upon their 
heads. 

Ignorant of the cause of the dodging commotion of his con- 
gregation, he continued to blow until the last atom of soap 
was cast from the horn over the pretty bonnets of the females. 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 375 

and into the upturned faces of the astonished males, before he 
discovered the sad mishap of which he was the innocent cause. 
Scornfully casting aside the soaped horn, he implored his con- 
gregation to assemble in earnest prayer for the discovery and 
conversion of the " great sinner " who was the principal cause 
of the calamity. He graphically described the punishments 
meted out to sinners who failed to repent, and with particular 
emphasis, foretold the "destruction of the sinner who dared 
soap a camp meeting horn." 

During the course of the revival, it was observed by the 
minister that a certain young man of the congregation was 
extremely agitated, and loudly implored forgiveness of his 
sins. It was the custom during revivals for the minister to 
go about among the congregation and speak words of en- 
couragement and consolation. When the young man was 
reached, the deep agony depicted upon his face was observed, 
and repeated efforts were made to console him. He was re- 
minded that forgiveness of sins was possible after due repent- 
ance. But his grief increased with the list of sins which the 
pious minister enumerated, and as he continued to declare in 
Icud sobbing tones that his sin was greater than all the others 
yet enumerated, the suspicions of the minister were aroused, 
and without more ado, he shed his clerical frock, shook his 
fist, and shouted, "Brother Deacon Sampson, hold my coat 
while I wallop salvation into this infernal sinner who soaped 
my horn V 

Before the introduction of church organs, there were cer- 
tain " sisters " or " brothers " of the congregation whose duty 
it was to " raise the hymn." One of these hymn raisers had 
such a sweet voice that the congregation to which she belonged 
usually waited until she sang several verses, before they joined 
in the singing. During her absence on a certain occasion, 
one of the brethren, whose voice was said to be attuned to 
notes between a foghorn sound and a mule braying for his 
mate, to the great astonishment of the congregation " raised 



27G LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

the hymn," and carried it through two or tliree verses until 
interrupted by the loud sobs and cries of a " sister " who was 
seated in the pew immediately in front of him. Fearing 
that the sister was sick, he ceased in his hymn raising and 
leaning forward, asked her if she were sick, and what could he 
do for her, to which she replied : 

" Brother Jeems, I couldn't help it. You know what bad 
luck I've had lately. I lost my poor dear husband just a 
month ago to-day, and my son John went off last week, and 
yesterday my old mule ' Jennie ' that I sot such store by, she 
up and died too. Poor thing ! she used to come to the yard 
gate ev'ry morning and wake me up braying, and when I 
heard you raise that hymn, your voice was so much like the 
poor old critter I just couldn't help crying. God bless you 
brother Jeems." 

It is said that the selection of a " religious faith," is often 
governed by early training and environments. The negroes 
in days of slavery, usually followed their owners in selection 
of their religious worship. Places were provided in the 
churches of the whites for the colored. In those days, there 
were no separate houses of worship for the negro. 

At the ending of the Civil War, the colored provided their 
own houses of worship. In this they were frequently aided 
through contributions of the whites. 

Directly after the Civil War, many of the negroes who, in 
days of slavery, had been " exorters " on the plantations, de- 
cided they had " a call to preach," and impatient to enter into 
the good work, they ordained themselves. 

Many of the negroes were superstititious, and earnest be- 
lievers in ghosts and " ha'nts." To break the spell of a ha'nt, 
they depended upon the power of certain charms which could 
ward off ill luck, sickness, and accidents, and the ill will of 
enemies. The left hind foot of a rabbit caught in a grave 
yard was powerful, especially if caught on a Friday night. A 
mixture of three hairs from the tip of a black cat's tail, the 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 



271* 



tipper jaw of a bull frog, and a few drops of the blood from 
the first hog killing in the fall, when put in a black stocking 
and suspended from a bush in running water would aid the 
stream in carrying off with its waters many miseries which 
flesh is heir to. 

The trials and tribulations of the children of Israel were 
fascinating stories to many of them. They were especially 
fond of hearing the story of the Jews in their struggles to 
reach the Land of Canaan. At the close of the Civil War, 
had the United States Government offered to send the negroes 
to the Land of Canaan in a transport "ship named Zion," 
very many of them would have consented to go, and would 
have been delighted at the prospect of being "so near to 

glory." 

"The Old Ship of Zion, 
Hal-le-lu-jah, 
The Old Ship of Zion, 
Hal-le-lu-jah! 

She landed many thousands, 
And she will land as many more, 
O, Glory Hal-le-lu-jah!" 

A profound knowledge of the scriptures, or a strict adher- 
ence to grammatical rules were not necessary qualifications of 
a negro preacher in the early years following the Civil War. 
On the contrary, the one who used the apt phrases, and the 
simple, though ungrammatical dialect of the masses, was the 
more successful with his hearers. 

To reach the masses, it was necessary to have a rapid flow 
of words, and a vivid imagination, with a capacity of fitting 
the every day life of the present with that of the hereafter. ^^ 

Many of them conducted their discourse in a " sing-a-song " 
tone, and at the end of each three or four words, they would 
utter an "Ah," as if catching their breath. Some of the " old 
time " white preachers were addicted to this practice. 



278 LIEE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The voice of the preacher was usually intoned to suit his 
words. When he pictured the misery of the sinners during 
the hereafter, in their cruel torments of brimstone fire, the 
inflections were ringing, loud, and warning. This was fol- 
lowed by earnest appeals to the " backsliders " to return, and 
for the sinners to mend their ways, else the torments so 
vividly described would be their lot. 

Upon a certain occasion, after a sermon of this description 
was preached, at a pine bush arbor revival meeting, one of the 
congregation, a hardened sinner, and a scoffer of religion, 
asked the preacher : " How far off yo' reckon de devil is f um 
yere ?" 

" How ol' is yo' Bre'r Petah ?" asked the preacher. 

" Well, suh, I 'spect I'se long 'bout fohty fob." 

" W'en yo' wuz b'on inter dis worl' " said the preacher, " de 
devil wuz jes' fohty fob years behin' yo', an' all I'se got ter 
say is, dat ef he aint cotched up wid yo' yit'taint yo' own 
fau't." 

" Dar, bless de Lam, Bre'r, yo' don't tol' de truth one time," 
exclaimed one of the congregation. 

When the picture relates to the joys of heaven, the preacher 
" is at home," because of his vivid imagination. When such 
joys are being depicted, the weaker sisters get excited and 
" happy." Then they start to singing, first in crooning, slow 
tones, followed by movements of the body swaying from side 
to side in unison with the song : 

Come, yo' sinners po'r an' needy 

Weak an' wounded, sick an' so'er. 
Jesus ready stan's to save yo'. 
Full uv pity, luv, an' pow'r. 

As the preacher pictures the golden streets, the beautifully 
dressed angels in their golden slippers " climbin' up de golden 
stahrs," and playing sweet, heavenly music upon golden harps, 
the congregation gets beyond their own control, and declare 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 279 

their happy mood in voices of appeal to the Throne of Grace, 
indicating their readiness to leave this cold and distressful 
world at once and join in those heavenly joys. They intimate 
their desire to die then and there. When this mood controls, 
they shake each othr's hands and embrace each other and use 
endearing expressions of good will to all mankind. The 
feebler and more excited sisters scream lightly and fall faint- 
ing to the floor or into the arms of those near them. 

In protracted meetings, there are always two classes of wor- 
shippers, the silent worshippers, and the "shouters." The 
former offer their fervent prayers in silence, and are thereby 
content with the knowledge that the ear of God can as readily 
be reached from the closed closet as from the house top. 

The " shouters " are equally earnest in their devotions, but 
a listener, upon hearing their loud and excited exclamation, 
would likely think that they had determined that the 
vast expanse of space between heaven and earth, could bo 
overcome only through the greatest efforts of their lungs. 
The shouter being the more excited and nervous of the two 
classes of worshippers, was also the more frequent interrupter 
of the preacher; often when he was in the midst of a promi- 
nent and important sentence which he should have been per- 
mitted to utter uninterrupted to the ending. 

" Sister Patsey " was a shouter from " way back befo' de 
wah," and was mortally dreaded by her pious minister who 
suffered often from her interruptions. On the occasion of a 
sermon upon " the joys of lieaven," which this pious minis- 
ter had burned many midnight candles to compose, he was 
abruptly interrupted in the midst of one of his most glowing 
sentences by Sister Patsey : 

" Lawd, jes' giv me one mo' feath'a in ma wing o' faith, an' 
I'se gwine flyin' to you'." 

" Deah Lawd," said the preacher, " ef yo' has one mo' 
feath'a to spar' please sen' it to Sistah Patsey soon's yo'^kin." 

When the preacher makes a strong hit against the sinner. 



280 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

or vividly describes his misery hereafter, a ready response is 
sure to follow : 

" Poh sinnah man bu'n/' " Yas 'tis hot dar." 
" No spring wat'a dar Honey/' " De debbil don' drink it 
all hisse'f." 

Some of the congregation may raise a hymn like the fol- 
lowing : 

I'se got on de back uv de Baptis' mule, 
Sinner dean' yo' stan' dar lookin' laik a fule. 
De bridle bit am silva, de saddle am gol'. 
An' I'm boun' fo' to go to Aberhams fol'! 

An' I'll ride, 

Yas I will. 
An' I'll ride right on to glory! 

I'se sunk ma sins in de savin' pool, 
An' got on de bac' uv de Baptis' mule. 
An' yere I'll stick laik a great big leetz; 
'Till de ol' mule stomp on de golden streets: 

An' I'll ride, 

Yas I will. 
An' I'll ride right on to glory! 

O, I longs fo' to reach dat heavenly sho' 
To meet Saint Petah stan'in' at de do'; 
He'll say to me, 'O, how does yo' do? 
Cum set right yon da' in de golden pew'. 

Den I'll res', 

Yas I will, 
Den I'll res' right dar in glory. 

A new preacher who was conducting a revival without 
much success, notwithstanding he pictured to his hearers in 
glowing language the great joys of heaven, and the tortures 
of eternal fires, and the imprisonment therein for all eternity, 
of the condemned souls, at last awakened his congregation to 
a sense of their danger by asking : 

"Does yo' know w'at all etern'ty is? Well, I tell yo'. Ef 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 281 

one uv dem li'l' sparrows w'at 3^0' see roun' yo' gyrden bushes 
wuz to dip his bill in de 'Lantic Ocean an' talk one hop a day 
an' hop 'cross de country an' put dat drop uv watah into de 
'Cific Ocean, an' den he hop back to de 'Lantic Ocean, jes' 
one hop a day, an' ef he keep dat hoppin' up 'twell de 'Lantic 
Ocean wuz dry as a bone, it wouldn't be break 0' day in 
etern'ty." 

" Dar now," said one of the brethren, " Yo' see for yo'se'f 
how long yo' suffer." 

During revivals, it was customary for the brethren and 
sisters to give their " experience " in order to encourage others 
who were doubting and hesitating. The " experiences " re- 
lated by the two sexes, male and female, were proofs of the 
fact that woman is of the weaker sex. When the men re- 
lated their experience, they warmed up to the occasion, and in 
loud and defiant tones told of their struggles with temptation, 
and of their wrestling with the individual devil himself. 
Their scufilles with the " evil one " were exciting proofs of 
the muscular strength of man, and evidence of the mind's 
power to create beliefs that had no foundation in fact. The 
Man's experience was more muscular than spiritual. 

The "sisters" told of their little household crosses and 
troubles, and how they prayed for power to prevent fretting 
and worrying, and related how they asked for spiritual 
strength to enable them to bear in silence their petty annoy- 
ances. ISTo one of the sisters ever had the courage to face the 
devil in person and throw him flat on his back and " stomp " 
on his prostrate form, as did her stronger and more combative 
"brother in the faith." The sisters were too tender hearted 
to treat even the devil in such harsh manner. 

There was a hardened sinner who had determined to join 
the church, but his record for meanness was such that when 
he applied for admission, he was told to wait awhile and pray 
for spiritual aid to improve his manners and morals. At 



282 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

length he became tired of waiting for a call from the brethren, 
and made a new application. The preacher asked him if he 
prayed and cDmmimed with the Lord as to whether he should 
join the church. 

" Yas indeed, I suttin'ly has prayed, an' I tol' de Lawd dat 
I don' quit all ma badness an' dat I wants to jine Shiloh 
Chu'ch." 

" Well," said the preacher, " how'd de Lawd answer yo' 
pray'rs ?" 

" De Lawd he say to me, I wish yo' bettah luck dan I has 
Stephen, kass I'se be'n tryin' to jine dat chu'ch fo' mo' den 
fohty years mahse'f !" 

THE OLD TIIVIE RELIGION. 

" It was good for our fathers, 
It was good for our mothers. 
It was good for our sisters. 

It was good for our brothers, 
And 'tis good enough for me. 

Chorus. 

This old time religion, 
This old time religion. 
This old time religion, 
Lord, it's good enough for me." 

II. Hunting in Old Virginia. 

Wlien the crops are all harvested, and the corn shucked 
and housed, and the fodder stacks built, and the season for 
fishing has passed, it is then time to prepare for oystering, 
timber getting and hunting. There were few, if any, young 
men raised in that section who failed at one time or other to 
engage in a hunt for game of some species. They usually 
began the custom when mere lads by setting hare boxes. The 
construction of a hare bos requires no greater mechanical 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 283 

skill than is necessary to hit a nail squarely on the head one 
time out of every three efforts. There must not be any new 
plank in the construction of a hare box. The odors of the 
new wood, and its bright appearance would give the cue that 
there was something wrong " laying for him/' and he would 
refuse to be " caught in such a trap." A serviceable box was 
made from an old, hollow gum log, and baited with apple, and 
set on the edge of an old field, or near a brush pile in the 
woods. It would gladden the heart of the youngster when he 
approached it and found the door down, providing it has not 
shut down on some prowling, thievish, vicious cat instead of 
the old hare which he expected to lay hand upon as he 
cautiously raised the door and inserted his arm until in con- 
tact with the snarling, spitting mouser. This may be his 
first experience, and he is apt not to forget it because he will be 
told of it, and teased about it by his older brother, or com- 
rade who will relate with gusto, how the young hunter skipped 
over fences and ditches with his hat in his hand, and a yell 
fiom his lungs equal to an Indian on the war path. Tide- 
water Virginia has ever been famous as a hunting ground. 
There are wild ducks and geese on the rivers and creeks during 
the spring and fall months, and partridges, wild turkeys, 
raccoons, opossums, rabbits ("old hares") and squirrels in 
the forests, and game birds in the fields and marshes, and in 
some few sections there are deer and foxes. Dogs are spec- 
ially trained for these several hunts. The negroes usually 
trained the dogs for " night varmints," such as 'coons and 'pos- 
soms. A good 'coon dog is considered a valuable asset by the 
negro wlio is fond of hunting. A negro who was noted for his 
good coon dogs was asked how many he had, to which he re- 
plied : " I haint got but foh jist now. I hev sich bad luck 
wid my pups dat it looks laik I nevah kin git a sta't on dogs 
agin. Boss has yo' any pups yo' wants to part wid to trade 
for a "muley cow?" The wliites usually trained the dogs 
for birds, and for running deer and chasing foxes. Each 



384 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

pack had its " leader " dog which could be depended upon to 
keep the " scent " and the " trail ;" he was known as the 
" harker." The hound dogs were not usually over fed during 
the hunting season and for that reason were great thieves in 
stealing food from the kitchen. Hungry, thievish hounds 
have been known to grab a ham, or shoulder of meat from the 
scalding hot water in which it was being cooked in the open 
fire place. 

Every farmer kept several dogs, and the more remote their 
dwelling house was from the main public highway, the greater 
the number of dogs. When a stranger approached such dwell- 
ing, his coming was announced through the deep baying tones 
of some watchful hound, whose warning notes were sure to 
awaken from their slumbers a howling pack of young pups, 
and older dogs to join this sentinel of the homestead in bid- 
ding defiance to the new comer. 

If the road leading to the mansion were winding, so that a 
short turn brought the stranger in view suddenly, within a 
^ few yards of the house, one might hear the master or mistress 

giving orders to the servant : 

" Sally, run out and see what those dogs are barking at !" 
and Sally would then hunt for a stick or an oyster shell to 
" chunk back the dogs who seemed fierce as wolves : 

" Git back fum yere, yo' yaller debbils, 'fore I chunk yore 
hide offen yo'," was Sally's forceful warning, at which the 
dogs would slink away, and pay no more attention to the 
stranger, other than to smell of his heels as he gladly 
advanced into the house beyond their reach. 

To one unaccustomed to such scenes, and ignorant of the 
fact that "barking dogs seldom bite," great credit would be 
given Sally for saving their life. 

Since the Civil War there are few large packs kept as the 
foxes and deer have in many places become entirely extinct, 
and the people have become too industrious to spend much 
time as formerly in hunting. 



♦ ^ 






\Er 


^^"^^ 






il 


■1 




B^^^™^^H 


■ 




ii»4*1^ 




H 



A Successful Coon Hunt. 




VwiJ-a^^^?? 







Shore Fishery. Drawing the Net Ashore. 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 2S5 

In years gone by it was the desire of every youngster in 
Tidewater Virginia to own a whole coon dog or a " right 
smart share " in one. The dog of a youngster was a fortunate 
animal, as he was sure to share in all the " good eatings " 
of his owner. 

A good coon dog is of medium size. He is either a " yaller 
dog," or a mud-brown color. He has no pedigree to speak of. 
He is best described as a " no account lazy dog." When he's 
lazy "he's jes' restin'," for he knows not what to-morrow's 
night will bring forth. Wlien he starts " out with the boys " 
he sheds his laziness in his kennel. A big dog is not fit for a 
coon hunt because he is too clumsy. A good coon dog must 
be lively when the occasion arises. 

The coon fights lying flat upon his back. When shaken 
down from a tree, upon which he has taken refuge, and lands 
upon the ground, he determines at once whether to run or 
fight. He has sharp claws upon every foot which he works 
with precision and lightning like rapidity. These weapons 
of defense, aided by sharp teeth within snappy jaws, will make 
a lazy dog lively and keep him busy to save his hide. An old 
negro remarked that " de coon suttinly mus' larned his 
boxin' tricks sparrin' wid lightin'." A good hunter never 
shoots a coon up a tree; he is always shaken down from the 
limb upon which he has taken refuge, and if he should for- 
tunately land upon the back of a big dog he would have all the 
fun to himself. 

A coon hunt is not complete without a spry young negro 
accompanying the party to climb the tree and shake down the 
coon. The start for a coon hunt is made by getting together 
two or three dogs along about bed time. The hunting ground 
may be reached within a mile or two, or more of the starting 
point, in the dense timberd woods, on the edge of a swamp or 
marshy place. When this is reached the hunter lets the dogs 
loose, and "whoops," and whistles in low, long tones to en- 
courage the dogs, and shouts " look 'em up," at the same time 



286 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

calling the name of the favorite dog ("Liza"). When the 
scent is struck, the dogs " give mouth/' and the hunter listens 
and waits to learn which direction the coon will finally decide 
upon. The voice of the dogs will indicate to the hunter 
whether they have the coon " on the run," or whether they 
have " struck a cold scent." An old man, or a city bred man 
with starched clothes, and patent leather shoes, had better not 
engage in a coon hunt. The old man would wear out his 
bodily strength in following the coon. The city bred man 
would wear out his " store clothes " and look like a corn field 
scare crow, and before the hunt is ended the coon's claws may 
reach his face, and then he will look like an Apache Indian at 
a war dance. A Tidewater Virginia coon will lead the dogs 
and the hunters through the thickest of laurel bushes and 
swamp briars, through marshes, and deep dark gulleys and 
into mudholes knee deep, and may select a tree for refuge in a 
spot that would mire a mule. 

When the dogs are " on the run," their baying is open 
mouthed and prolonged. When they get close upon the coon, 
the baying is short, sharp, and eager, and when the coon is 
treed the dogs will raise their heads and bay slowly, as if 
listening between each breath for the hunter. If the hunter 
is within hearing, they are encouraged by him with a 
" whoop," and " Hold him, Liza." The hunter can distin- 
guish the voice of each dog in the pack. Only one dog gives 
voice at a time after the coon is treed. The others whine, or 
lie down and wait quietly. When the hunter reaches the tree, 
a good coon dog will endeavor to point out the coon by going 
around the tree, and moving backward and forward, his nose 
pointed upward, and eagerly barking. The hunter scans the 
tree by walking around it and getting in range of the sky line. 
If the slcy is cloudy, a fire of dry leaves and light limbs is 
made to burn brightly, the flames from which expose the 
whole tree to view. 

"Ef Mistuh Coon is up dar I'se gwine shake him down," 



LIPE AXD CUSTOMS 287 

and up climbs the sprightly negro to his duty. "All coons 
look alike " to one not accustomed to coon hunting, but they 
are not all alike, either in disposition or courage. Some will 
fight upon the ground only, others will fight up a tree. A 
well trained coon dog will stand a few feet from the body of a 
tree ready to pounce upon anything that first comes down to 
the ground from that tree, whether it be the coon, or the 
negro youngster. It is a matter of " first come first served," 
and the dogs will do it in a hurry. Many trees are matted 
with wild grape and " Virginia Trumpet " vines, and dry 
forest leaves which during the fall months accumulate 
amongst these vines. Should a coon seek refuge in such a 
tree and the hunters lose control of the fire, and it should take 
to the mass of combustibles up that tree while the negro is 
shaking down a " sassy coon," then matters take a serious 
turn. If the negro remains up the tree, the fire will burn 
him and the coon will scratch him. If he comes down, the 
dogs will get him before the hunters can control them. 

" Fo' de Lawd's sake. Mass' Jack, hoi' Liza, fur I'm a 
comin'," and down comes the negro. " It's too hot up dar 
fo' me." If he escapes the dog, it is because of the frantic 
and successful effort of his young master in luckily grabbing 
the tail of " Liza " v^^hen she heard something coming down 
that tree. 

The most exciting time of a young coon hunter's ex- 
perience, is when the coon drops upon the ground and the 
bright flames of fire, which formerly made all things plain, is 
suddenly extinguished by the dogs in their scuffle and efi'orts 
to reach the coon. Then all is blacker than the famed dark- 
ness of " Egypt's midnight," and amid the barking of the 
dogs, and the screeches of the coon, and the scattering of the 
fire coals and partly burned limbs and leaves, and the sudden 
and unexpected bumping of each hunter, one against the 
other, in their wild and sightless endeavors to avoid being 
bitten by the dogs, or scratched by the coon, business becomes 



288 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

SO brisk under the tree that until the fight is finished no one 
can tell how many coons were shaken out of it. 

If the coon is an old one, he may have learned the trick of 
fooling the dogs by jumping to the limb of another tree ; in 
that event he leaves the dogs " barking up the wrong tree " to 
be chided by the hunters as good for nothing, worthless curs. 
Sometimes a coon will seek a hollow tree ; in that event he is 
" smoked out " by a fire of dry leaves, or the tree is cut down 
and he is reached. 

A coon is hunted for the sake of his hide, and a 'possum 
for his meat. The hide of a coon is tanned with the hair and 
tail upon it. In former years, a coon skin cap, with the tail 
hanging behind, and a calf skin vest were the envied apparel 
of a dandy. 

The possum is the favorite with the negro. After capture, 
the possum is usually put in a box or barrel to cleanse and 
fatten, then it is roasted and served in its own rich gravy with 
Tidewater Virginia sweet yams. 

The possum makes no fight when hunted. Pie usually runs 
for his hole in some hollow tree. When captured he " plays 
possum " by shutting his eyes as if he were asleep, or dead, all 
the while he is watching out of one corner of his apparently 
close shut eyes, for an opportunity to escape. While "' play- 
ing possum '' he disguises his breathing as much as possible. 

There is not so much excitment in a possum hunt as there 
is in hunting coons. Sometimes disappointment follows, as 
proven by the experience of one of the two negroes who went 
on a possum hunt together. It appears that two negroes 
hunted one night together without success until they were 
very weary. Finally they succeeded in capturing a young 
possum, and as they were hungry as well as tired, they pre- 
pared the possum for roasting, kindled a fire and swung him 
over the blaze suspended by the tail, after which they decided 
to take a nap while he roasted. The more crafty of the two 
lay wide awake, and when the possum was cooked enough he 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 289 

fell to and ate him. Before completing his feast, he carefully 
greased the fingers and the lips of his sleeping companion with 
the fattest parts of the possum, then laid the clean picked 
bones near his hands, and lay down along side of his com- 
panion, turned over on his side and was soon asleep. After 
a while, his partner in the hunt awoke, and as he was about to 
raise his body from the ground, his hand struck the possum 
bones. " Hey dar ! Wot's dis !" said he ; then he smacked 
his greasy lips and tasted his greasy fingers : " Dat suttinly 
is possum grease !" 

He then looked eagerly towards the bright blazing fire for 
the possum ! " I mus' 'et dat possum in ma sleep, 'kase dars 
de bones and yere's de grease ; I has no 'membrance uv eetin' 
dat possum. I don't 'spute eetin' dat possum, but I has less 
fulness fum eetin' dat possum dan any possum I evah et befo' 
in all my b'on days." 

Ef possum's et in reason dar's no 'scuse fo' one to cry, 
Fo' de fattes' possum cotclied is in some kin to ol' mince pie. 
Yo' knows yo' se'f de trubble dat sicli eetin's make de man 
Wat fills an' crams his appetite v/id ev'ry bit he can. 
I tol' yo' chile, de trubble comes w'en he lies down to res'; 
Den de biggest, rankest possum jes' sots down 'pon nis breas'. 
An' wauks 'bout sich pusson wid a tromp dat wake de dead, 
An' a dozen yuther possums jest' stomp down 'pon his head. 
Sich nonsense he jes' dreaming', kase he et de possum fat 
Dat wuz sot aside fo' gravy; 'Cose yo' dem all knows dat 
Sweet 'taters goes wid possum, an' de gravy it goes too. 
So chile doan' eet de fattes' part w'atevah else yo' do! 
Jes' save it up fo' gravy, an' to eet wid roasted yam. 
Den chile, yo' shore kin 'joy yo'se'f, an' sleep jes' laik a lamb. 

III. Log Cabins and Brick Mansions. 

The whole Atlantic coast side of North America, when first 
settled, was covered with forests of big timber. From this 
material were constructed the first human abodes, called log 



290 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

cabins. They consisted of two or three rooms with a "lean 
to " — shed — for a kitchen room. The cabin and " lean to " 
were built of large logs, hewn square on three sides, upper, 
lower, and outside. The more pretentious were hewn on all 
four sides. At the four corners of the cabin, the logs were 
notched nearly half way through to permit fitting evenly 
and closely together. The open spaces between the logs were 
" chinked " or " daubed," inside and out, with clay to make 
them air tight. The roof was supported with poles as rafters, 
and was covered with " clapboards," — strips of straight 
grained pine, chestnut, or oak, split from logs evenly and thin, 
by means of a " f row," a flat piece of iron six to twelve inches 
long, and three inches to four inches wide, with a circular 
upright end to admit a wooden handle to guide the frow. 
The under side of the frow was made sharp, like a chisel, so 
that it might split the clapboard from the log. A wooden 
maul was used to strike the upper side of the frow and force 
it through the wood. 

The clapboards were riven eighteen inches to twenty-four 
inches long, four to six inches wide, and one-half to one inch 
in thickness. They were placed on the roof to overlap each 
other, top and bottom, like shingles, and were fastened to the 
rafters with pine " weight " poles laid on top, all the way 
across the roof, on each layer of clapboards. The " weight " 
poles were tied down to the projecting ends of the rafters by 
means of hickory or oak withes, — small limbs twisted for use 
like ropes. 

There were few nails used in the construction of the early 
log^ cabins. Nails were hand made in those years, and so 
scarce as to induce persons when deserting their plantations to 
burn their buildings for the purpose of getting the nails 
therefrom. So common was this custom that in 1644 an act 
of the general assembly was passed forbidding this practice. 
It provided that those who left their buildings standing 
should receive in full satisfaction " as many nails as were ex- 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 291 

pended in the building, the number to be computed by two 
different men." 

The door was made from wide " puncheons/' split from a 
log like clapboards, and hewed down evenly and smoothly with 
a broad-axe. The pieces comprising the door were held to- 
gether across top and bottom by strips fastened thereto by 
wooden pins. The door was hung on the inside of the cabin 
by wooden hinges, and was fastened by a wooden " latch" 
also on the inside. To the latch was fastened a " string " 
which passed to the outside through a hole in the door, imme- 
diately above the latch, where it hung ready to be pulled when 
gaining admittance. The synonym for a hearty welcome was : 
" You will always find my latch string on the outside." The 
pulling of the latch string to the inside upon retiring for the 
night, was the only burglar proof arrangement the early colo- 
nist had, aside from the flint and steel rifle which hung over 
the door of every cabin. 

Where stones were not plentiful — and there are many such 
localities in Tidewater Virginia, — the chimney was built of 
" daubin," or logs hewn and fitted together, as in the con- 
struction of the cabin. 

The frame of a " daubin chimney " was of ladder like con- 
struction, formed with large poles for uprights, through which 
holes were bored at intervals of a few inches, for the rounds. 
When these structures were set up on end and fastened to the 
cabin, the spaces between the rounds were " daubed " thickly 
inside and outside with a mixture of clay and grass, which, 
when it became hard and dry, withstood the heat and flames. 

All chimneys were built on the outside of the cabin, and 
like the old time tavern chimneys, were frequently extended 
the whole width of the end of the cabin. The log chimney 
was constructed upon the same plan as were the walls of the 
cabin, and was securely daubed with clay all the way up in- 
side, and "chinked" with the same material on the outside. 
When the chimney was building, there was a " lug pole " or 



292 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

" Chimney bar " of iron inserted above the arch, with its ends 
resting in the chimney sides. To this was suspended chains, 
and also pot-hooks formed in the shape of an S; both were 
used to hang pots high above the fire. There was also a 
" chimney crane/' fastened to the back of the chimney, to 
which were attached several arms which could be moved for- 
ward or backward to hang pots and skillets upon, and to 
swing them over the fire underneath the chimney iar. The 
chimney was usually built so large and so low that abundance 
of light was admitted through it; therefore, many of the 
cabins had few, if any, windows. To each chimney there 
belonged a "smoke board." This implement consisted of 
several pieces of puncheons, each as long as the width of the 
chimney top. They were fastened to the upper end of a pole, 
and extended from the top down two or three feet. The 
smoke board was used to lean against, and Just above the top 
of the chimney on the outside, to prevent the wind from blow- 
ing down the chimney, and to aid in making the proper 
draught to draw the smoke up. Experience taught the house- 
keeper where to " lean the smoke board." Pegs were driven 
into the logs of the cabin to form shelves, and to hang cloth- 
ing and other things upon. Wardrobes were not in use in log 
cabins. 

There were few cabins built higher than one story and a 
loft. The " loft " was reached by a pole ladder, which, when 
not in use, sat up against the wall behind the door. Where 
the family was large, the loft was often used by the youngsters 
of the family as a sleeping place who, upon retiring at night, 
might view the heavens, and count the bright stars between 
the chinks in the roof. 

The loft was also used to hang up dried " yerbs " (herbs) 
such as catnip for infants' complaints, mullen for " risings," 
hops for earache, hoarhound and burdock for colds, boneset 
for chills, wintergreen for colds and canker, smartweed for 
soaking sore feet, sage for sore throats and seasoning sausage. 



Lira AND CUSTOMS 293 

thyme for seasoning meats, and rosemary for seasoning lard 
in frying hominy. In some of the cabins, cured hog meat, — 
hams and shoulders, — were hung from the rafters in lieu of a 
smoke house. 

An amusing instance of unnecessary fright, resulting from 
the custom of hanging meat in the loft, is related of a pedler 
who, while traveling in a strange Forest neighborhood, was 
overtaken by night, and applied at a nearby log cabin for 
shelter. He was cordially invited by an old man and his wife 
to share the comforts of their cabin. 

When bedtime was reached, the pedler was given a tallow 
candle and shown up the ladder to the loft, the only other 
vacant place in the cabin. He slept well until towards day 
break, when he was alarmed by hearing the rounds of the 
loft ladder creaking, and while listening most attentively, he 
saw the head of the old man appear at the top of the ladder, 
with a big butcher knife in his hand, followed by the wife 
with a lighted candle which she shaded with her apron 
towards the spot where the pedler's bed was spread upon the 
floor, casting weird and dismal shadows throughout the loft. 
As the two advanced up the ladder, there was low, but earnest 
whispering between them, a part of which only could the wide- 
awake pedler hear : 

'•John, dear," whispered the wife, "if I were you I 
wouldn't do it ; we have a plenty, and can get along without it ! 
Come back, John!" were the alarming sentences which the 
now thoroughly frightened pedler heard. He lay perfectly 
quiet, hardly breathing lest they might discover he were 
awake. At this juncture, the old wife, in pleading voice, 
whispered : 

" John, are you sure the knife is sharp enough so that one 
lick will do?" 

All the while the two were advancing stealthily towards the 
pedler's bed. A step or two more they made, when the pedler 
threw ofc his blanket, jumped to his " pack," and with all his 



294 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

force, he fiung the pack against the old couple, the effect of 
which was to lay them both prone upon the floor and extin- 
guish the candle. In the inky darkness, he continued the 
fight upon the old man until the old lady cried out : " For 
God's sake stop ; we came only to cut down a shoulder of meat 
for your breakfast, and not to rob or murder you." 

The furniture of a log cabin consisted of the lug pole, 
chimney crane, andirons, fire shovel, tongs, fire bellows, pot- 
rack, pot hooks, hangers, pots, kettles, bread ovens, frying 
pans, skillets, pewter plates, blue china, or pewter cups, 
wooden and pewter spoons, knives and forks, wooden dough 
trays, noggings, piggins for holding water, and for working 
butter, china crocks for milk, cedar water buckets with long 
handled gourds therein, three-legged stools, rush bottom 
chairs, table of pine or oak formed from a log with a broad 
axe, a "dresser" (china closet) consisting of shelves for 
storage of china ware, a knife, spoon and ladlebox, spinning 
wheel, cards for wool or cotton, loom for weaving, the inevita- 
ble " hair trunk " which the colonist brought from his English 
home stored with all the possessions which he most valued. 
This article was usually stored under the bed, and was the 
only article within the cabin, or upon the plantation which 
had lock and key to it. 

It was only the more prosperous of the early colonists that 
were able to own a clock. The clocks, with their frames, were 
built wide and high, many of which reached to the ceiling of 
the cabin loft. They were a much prized piece of furniture, 
and being constructed entirely by hand, and formed mainly 
from wood, were therefore very expensive. 

In lieu of clocks many used sun dials, which were less ex- 
pensive, and during sun shine were quite as accurate in time 
keeping. The owner of a sun dial was frequently called upon 
for its loan to a neighbor, that he might ascertain and mark 
the several hours of the day by the shadows cast upon the 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 295 

threshold of his cabin door, or upon the cabin window sill 
which faced the south. 

At night the hours were arrived at by viewing the stars in 
the bright heavens. The cock crovvdng at midnight revealed 
to the superstitious settler whose home was new, within the 
dense and dark forest where yet no shadows could fall, and 
whose nearest neighbors were the screech and booby owls, or 
to the settler upon the banks of some shimmering stream, 
within the bordering dark and wierd shadows, that this was 
the hour in which ghosts appear, and witches rise from their 
couch to prepare their cauldron of evil things for " hants," 
and the same old chickens, at break of day announced in 
clarion tones that this was the hour to again begin life's toil, 
and that evil spirits must disappear hastily to whence they 
came, and that the witch must cool her cauldron and bottle 
its contents, ere she is dragged to the ducking stool in punish- 
ment for her evil practices. 

After the Civil War, many of the freedmen embraced the 
opportunities offered by their former masters to purchase a 
part of their lands and make their homes thereon. The 
majority of these freedmen, for want of better means usually 
built log cabins, some of which were diminutive in width and 
height. One of these freedmen who had been enabled to pay 
for his home through the help of his former master, sorrow- 
fully learned of the sudden death of his benefactor, and hear- 
ing that a "vendue'' (public auction) of his old master's 
household effects was to be held, determined to obtain some- 
thing from " the old home " for a keepsake. The old servant 
made his bid on very many things, but always was outbid 
until finally the " old grandfather's clock " was knocked down 
to him at a price he was able to pay. Eeturning thanks to his 
white neighbors for their generosity in permitting him to be- 
come the possessor of this heir loom, he loaded the clock on 
his ox cart with the assistance of some of his friends. Upon 
reaching his cabin, he summoned his family's aid in unload- 



296 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

ing the clock, and when it was placed inside his cabin much 
to his astonishment, he found the clock was taller by two or 
three feet than the eves of his cabin. Not to be outdone, he 
cut a hole through the floor of the loft and pointed his clock 
skyward. "Whenever he wanted to know the hour of the day, 
he was forced to climb the ladder into the loft, and there he 
kept his treasured time piece until he was " called over the 
river " to join his beloved master. 

Very many of the most distinguished and illustrious men 
of America were born in log cabins. 

" Honor and fame from no condition rise 
Act well your part 
For in that all the honor lies." 

Many of the oldest dwellings are built on points of land, — 
little peninsulas, — overlooking tlie waters of rivers or creeks, 
on either side, and presenting to the view magnificent scenery 
of land and water, intermingling with groves of green pines, 
cedars and weeping willows on their banks. These evergreen 
trees are cheerful and pleasing to the sight at all seasons of the 
year. In winter time, when covered with light snows, or 
heavy frosts, and pendant icicles, they are veritable gems of 
nature's beautiful handiwork. 

During the days of slavery, the " servants' quarters " were 
within sight of the " Great House," the owner's residence, 
and if the servants were many, such homes at the beginning 
and closing hours of labor, were scenes of active life, while 
the servants were going to, or returning from their several 
tasks, either in the cultivation of the fields, or the felling of 
the forest, and the hauling of the products for shipment. 
Nevertheless, there was a leisure about all their labors, which 
was equalled only in localities of similar life, and differed 
greatly from the hurry and bustle witnessed in the States 
north of Mason and Dixon's line. Nearly all the old time 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 297 

servants' quarters have disappeared, and thus the dwelling 
places of the former owners of numerous servants have lost 
their distinguishing feature which foretold prosperity, and 
wealth in the number of servants. 

Throughout Tidewater Virginia are many " Old Colonial 
Homes," handsome, spacious mansions, the majority of which 
were built during the century prior to the Eevolutionary War, 
and to which large landed estates were attached. They were 
the birth places, or homes of persons illustrious as actors in 
some important event in the history of this nation. Because 
of the historical associations so intimately connected with 
these dwellings they deserve a better fate than is befalling 
some of them. A large number of these houses are rapidly 
falling into decay, and losing all semblance of their former 
magnificence. 

To name the colonial mansions of Tidewater Virginia, and 
give such history of them as is worthy of mention would fill a 
large but interesting volume. 

Many of the older dwellings are built of brick with glazed 
ends, a peculiarity of the manufacture of bricks in the early 
days. The opinion is often expressed that such bricks all 
came from England, but this is doubtful, as the historians of 
the early period mention the sending to Virginia by the Lon- 
don Company " some Italians, Dutchmen, and others to 
manufacture glass, and brick," etc. 

The first brick dwelling in America was built at James- 
town, in 1639, for Richard Kempe, Secretary to the Governor. 
In 1642, Sir "William Berkeley brought with him instructions 
as governor, to promote the building of brick houses, offering 
" five hundred acres of land to every person who should build 
a house of brick twenty-four feet long, sixteen feet broad, 
with a cellar to it." 

Act of Assembly, December, 1662, made provision for the 
building of thirty-two brick houses. The price of bricks and 
wages of laborers were fixed by law. Each of the seventeen 



298 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

counties of the colony were required to build a brick house Id 
Jamestown. 

A prominent piece of furniture in the old time dwellings 
was the " tester bedstead/' with bed posts extending nearly to 
the ceiling. The bed-posts were covered over with a canopy 
of curtains which extended across the tops of the four posts, 
and down the sides and ends to the floor, enclosing the whole 
bedstead. It is related that a resident of the " Forest " 
section, — the occupant of a diminutive log cabin, — paid a 
visit of consultation to the office of a prominent lawyer in one 
of the Northern Neck Counties, whose home was of princely 
proportions, and corresponding equipments. As the Forester 
was detained until late in the evening, he was invited to 
*° spend the night." At the hour of retiring, he was escorted 
to a bed chamber in which was a " tester bedstead," the first 
he had ev^r seen. Doffing his clothing, he prepared himself 
to rest, but upon pushing the canopied curtains aside, he 
found the bed covered with a white, smooth counterpane, so 
snugly and neatly tucked under it on all sides, and with the 
pillows and bolster on top of it, that he concluded the coun- 
terpane was a new fashioned top sheet, and that the curtains 
were the only covering. As the fire was burning brightly, he, 
nevertheless, was comfortably warm, while on top of all the 
bed covering, by tucking the curtains close to his body, and so 
he remained until towards the morning when the fire burned 
low, and the room becoming chilled, he hastily dressed and 
sat shivering over the embers of the departed flames, until a 
knock was heard at his door summoning him to breakfast. 
At the meeting of his host, a polite inquiry was made as to 
his rest and comfort during the cold night, and a hope was 
expressed that he found a plenty of bed covering. " "Well 
Kunnell,'' said he, "thar mout a been kiverin' a plenty, but 
they wuz too durned far oil to wrap close. I neer about friz." 




Sunnyside," near Heathville, Va. A Tidewater Virginia Home. 




Berkley (Harrison's Landing.) Birthplace of President W. H. Harrison. 



LIPE AND CUSTOMS 299 

IV. Old Virginia Taverns. 

Before the Civil War, there was but little traffic of strangers 
tbroughout Tidewater Virginia, and consequently few travelers 
other than the natives whose business might require a journey 
from their homes, too distant to return in one day. Should they 
be overtaken by a storm, or by night, they, or any other 
stranger, might ask for shelter, and be welcomed by a willing 
invitation to share tvJiat comforts there might be found in 
any home throughout that section, without thought upon the 
part of the host, or hostess of recompense in money, or other 
values. 

The "commercial drummer," the insurance agent, the 
" lighting rod man," the " patent medicine fakir," and the 
hosts of the latter day " hustlers " of business enterprises had 
not made their appearance in that section of Virginia prior to 
the Civil War. The Jew peddlers w^ere almost the only 
strangers to invade that territory, to offer their wares, or to 
ask for patronage. The peddlers carried an assortment of 
gewgaws, and cheap trinkets which readily took the fancy of 
the negro. 

Few of the negroes knew that the Jews, and the " Children 
of Israel " were of the same people. The story of the 
Children of Israel in slavery to the Egyptians, and their 
final freedom from bondage, and their possession of the land 
of Canaan, was a story which deeply interested the negroes. 
An old, pious, negro mammy who had often heard this story, 
expressed before her mistress the wish to see some of the 
Children of Israel, inasmuch as she could not visit the Land 
of Canaan, To humor her, the mistress, upon learning of 
the coming of a Jew peddler to the nearby village, told her 
servant she might pay a visit there, and view the " Child of 
Abraham." The servant soon returned, and indignantly ex- 
claimed : " Missus ! dat's no Chillun o' Israel. Dat's de 
same ol' Jew peddler w'at sole me dem pisen, brass yearrings 



300 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

las' 'tracted meetin' time. Sicli low down w'ite man as dat, 
he nevah b'long to no Lan' o' Cainyan." 

With some few exceptions, there was but one tavern in a 
county until after the Civil War, and that one was situated 
within the " Court House Bounds." From its earliest his- 
tory, Virginia has been famed as the home of generous hos- 
pitality. A writer about the year 1700, in referring to the 
scarcity of inns or ordinaries in Virginia, states : 

" No people entertain their friends with better cheer and 
welcome, and strangers, and travelers are here treated in the 
most free, plentiful and hospitable manner, so that a few 
inns, or ordinaries on the road are sufficient." 

The tavern was usually built long and narrow, one and a 
half stories high, with dormer windows, the roof sloping down 
until it formed a cover for the porch which ran along the 
whole length of the house. At both ends of the building were 
stone or brick chimneys, built on the outside. The main 
body of a chimney — containing a fire-place within — was ex- 
tended to cover the entire end of the house. It was a puzzle 
to the uninstructed, as to which was first built — the house or 
the chimneys — or whether the chimneys were not originally 
intended for a larger building. The capacious fire-places, 
extending the whole width of the building, determined the 
wisdom of the builder. Around these fire-places, gathered 
the guests in the winter evenings within the warm, and cheer- 
ful glows emitted by the heaps of bright, blazing logs of pine, 
oak, or hickory. Here, in the language of an " Old Timer,'* 
yarns were " spun and swapped," and jokes told, the latest 
news related, while the listeners chewed their " sweet scented " 
tobacco, or smoked the pipe. 

Tobacco chewing, throughout the country at large, was a 
much more common custom, fifty or sixty years ago, than at 
the present day. The " Old Timers " worked their Jaws upon 
a big wad of " home twisted " as rapidly, and constantly as a 
billy goat chewing upon his quid, and they expectorated the 



\ 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 301 

juice of the weed with a precision, and a profusion that was 
a wonder, and a shock to those whose esthetic taste forbade 
them to indulge in the habit of " chawin'." 

Cigars and " store tobacco " were not in use in early times. 
In those days, many of the elderly ladies, as well as the men, 
smoked the pipe. The pipe of the elderly persons was either 
of clay, or corn cob, and from its long usage had the color of 
an old meerschaum, and the odors of a scorching hot tar 
barrel. There was fuel in abundance to keep bright fires, as 
" new ground " was being constantly added to the plantation, 
the clearing of which afforded an ample supply. The fuel, in 
logs of various lengths, was hauled to the wood pile and 
stacked up cone-shaped, to protect it from storms of snow and 
rain. There was seldom such a thing as a wood shed on a 
plantation before the Civil War, and rarely was the fire-wood 
chopped into proper lengths until immediate need required. 
At bed time, the bright coals were thickly covered with ashes 
which kept them alive and ready for the morning's fire, which 
was blown into flame with fire bellows. Fire-pans of iron, 
with lid and handle, were used to carry live coals from one 
fire place to another about the house. The open fire is now 
a rarity, especially in the later built dwellings of the cities. 
During the coming generation, the " family fire-side " will be 
but a fiction of the past. 

An Indian upon seeing one of these big fire places, and 
observing the apparent waste of flaming logs upon the fire, 
and the people seated at a distance from it, said: 

" Ugh ! Injun make little fire, sit close to him ; white man 
make big fire, sit way off." 

The tavern floor was kept sanded with white sand neatly 
swept into fanciful curves. Attached to each tavern was a 
" horse lot " in which were stalls for horses and sheds for 
vehicles. In front of each tavern was a " horse rack " to 
which the animal was tethered awaiting either the guest or 
the hostler. Close to one corner of the tavern was a post to 



303 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

which was suspended a big bell, with rope attached, to sum- 
mon the tavern keejjer or hostler, or to announce " meal time," 
to the guests. The ringing of the tavern bell T>'as notice to 
the whole village of a new arrival within its precincts. 

Court day was the one busy day of each month with a Tide- 
water tavern keeper, and if the weather was fair, he was as- 
sured of a goodly attendance at his table and " horse lot," the 
receipts from which aided him materially in " tiding over '* 
until the following court, a month hence. In the year 1666, 
the "Ordinary" (tavern) charges for caring for "man and 
beast " were fixed by law to be paid in tobacco as follows : 

*'A meal for a master, 15 pounds of tobacco. 

"A meal for a servant, 10 pounds of tobacco. 

" Lodging for either, 5 pounds of tobacco. 

"Brandy, English spirits, or Virginia dram, per gal. 160 
pounds tobacco. 

" Eum per gal. 100 pounds tobacco. 

" Cyder, or Perry, per gal. 25 pounds tobacco." 

In each tavern, there was a room where liquors were sold, 
which were drawn direct from cask, rundlet, or jug, as called 
for. There was no display of decanters, bottlers, or glass- 
ware, such as is seen in the latter day barroom, nor was the 
liquor "red liquor" — rectified and ruined. With the excep- 
tion of perhaps some added water to aid in keeping up what 
would otherv/ise be a " short supply," the liquors were sold 
pure as they came from the distiller. They consisted mainly 
of whiskeys, rum, apple and peach brandies, and ales. 

The most common method of purchase was to call for 
a " Tickler." Customers called for their liquors in quanti- 
ties of either gallons, quarts, pints, or half-pints, which were 
placed in jugs, or bottles, and after the purchaser imbibed or 
shared with a friend, the remainder of the " tickler " was set 
aside by the tavern keeper to be ready at the call of the pur- 
chaser, as often as needed until that tickler was exhausted. 
To " share the tickler " with a friend or acquaintance, is one 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 303 

form of old Virginia hospitality which has long since ceased. 

As a matter of necessity, every tavern keeper cultivated a 
" bed of mint/' the fragrance of which was best appreciated 
v.'hen mixed in a Julep. The Virginian u&ually drank 
" straight licker," but when he departed from this habit, it 
was either to enjoy his julep, or to add a little water to the 
liquor, and then it became " grog." 

Drinking was quite common in the early days. It is stated 
that even ministers of the gospel took their drams, often to 
their great shame. 

Virginia gave birth to very many "first things," amongst 
them being the " mint julep." The Kentucky Colonel, a 
prodigal son of old Virginia, when in his best humor, may 
lay claim to a patent on this famous beverage, but the evi- 
dence is against his claim as " first discoverer." It is related 
til at sliortly after Virginia consented to part with her claims 
upon Kentuclcy, as a " District of Virginia," — to enable her 
to become a state of the Union — an old Tidewater Virginian 
went to Kentucky to pay a visit to his son, who had settled 
there, and while riding along the road on horseback, he was 
overtaken by a heavy rainstorm. He sought shelter at the 
nearest dwelling he came to, and as the storm continued until 
night set in, his host prevailed upon him to spend the night. 
In grateful acknowledgement of the generous hospitality re- 
ceived, the Virginian mixed a mint jiilep for his host, and 
showed him how to drink it by burying his face in the fra- 
grant mint. It is said the two sat up discussing its merits 
until the dawn of day, by which hour the Kentuckian had be- 
come proficient as a " mixer." After a substantial breakfast, 
the Virginian departed on his journey much to the regret of 
his host. The Virginian remained several months with his 
son, and on his way back to his home, stopped at the gate of 
his former host and inquired of the old negro servant as to his 
master's health. 

"Dead suh! Dead! T'was dis yere way suh! Dat grass 



304 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

drink w'at you fix fur Mar's Jack he wuz mightily pleased 
wid, an' he wuz gittin' on mighty fine wid it, t'well a 
youngster cum 'long one day 'fum sum o' dese yere big towns 
in Virginny, an' he tole Mar's Jack dat dey all up in town 
drinks mint juleps wid straws, an' Mar's Jack he took to 
drinkin' hissen wid straws, an' de folke's all say dat what 
kills Mar's Jack — drinkin' wid straws." 

A famous Kentucky colonel is credited with the following 
remark : " There are two things a gentleman never refuses ; 
one is a lady's request, and the other, a mint julep." 

The old time tavern keeper cultivated land more or less ex- 
tensively and raised food in abundance for his table. " Side 
dishes " were an unknown quantity in the old time tavern. 
A whole roast pig, turkey, goose, or ham, a quarter of lamb, 
or roast of beef, were placed within easy reach of the guest 
and he was invited, and expected to help himself. The carv- 
ing knife and fork were placed within reach of the guest. 

Virginia taverns kept no subservient "waiters," who with 
clean or soiled napkin dangling over the arm, dance attend- 
ance only for " a tip." Young negro chaps were trained to 
" brush away the blue tail fly," and hand such dishes of food 
as might be beyond the reach of the guest. These duties they 
quietly performed, usually to the satisfaction of all, provided 
they did not fall asleep at their task. Old time servants 
would go to sleep with a suddenness that was appalling to one 
not acquainted with their habits. The habit of falling asleep 
was often indulged in by them, regardless of either time, oeca- 
tion, or place. 

V. " Sto' Keepin' " IN Tidewater Virginia. 

For several years after the first settlement was made, there 
was but one store in the whole of the vast territory then 
known as Virginia. This was kept by the cape merchant 
(treasurer), and from it the whole colony was supplied. Vil- 
lage and cross roads stores originated long after counties were 



LIFE AXD CUSTOMS 305 

formed and thickly populated. There was little necessity for 
stores in the early years of Virginia's history, as the clothing 
and other articles of wear, and many utensils also, were manu- 
factured at the homes of the settlers. Such other things as 
they needed, and were unable to make at home, they were 
supplied with direct from Europe, else they managed to get 
along without them. The early inhabitants were necessarily 
resourceful, handy, and self-denying. 

In 1810, the assistant marshals who took the United States 
population census were required by law to take an account of 
the several manufacturing establishments within their several 
divisions. As there was no formal schedule prescribed, each 
one made his reports in his own way. These reports are 
interesting reading as showing the condition of the people at 
that late day — 203 years after the first settlement at James- 
town. One of the Assistant Marshals reports as follows: 
" With few exceptions every household employs a common 
weaving loom, and almost without exception every family tans 
their own leather. ISTo machines of a peculiar kind are used 
or belongs in the county. The materials for clothing are 
raised and consumed by its inhabitants. The quantity as 
near as may be is twenty-six yards for each person. The 
weaving with few exceptions is performed by females. There 
are about three female weavers for every loom." 

Another assistant marshal reports on a whiskey distillery as 
follows : " This establishment is of a late invention and a 
considerable curiosity which when in full operation manu- 
factures 50 or 60 gals, of whiskey per day. The demand for 
its manufacture is invariably great, consequently the sale 
great. Sold for 50c. per gal." 

The great "Department Sliores" of the cities must have 
had their first conception from a view of a well stocked Vir- 
ginia country store, situated upon some important navigable 
stream, where the fisherman, oysterman, timberman, and 
farmer resorted for their supplies. A well stocked country 
20 



306 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

store must keep everything from a needle to a crowbar, from 
a piece of ribbon to a counterpane, from a spool of thread to a 
schooner's hawser, from a necktie to a suit of clothes, from a 
tin cup to a set of furniture, from a hame string to a set of 
buggy harness. Wliatever is called for and is not in stock, 
the merchant will obligingly offer something else, which may 
be a good substitute — for your money. A young negro hus- 
band failing to find a pair of shoes for his young son may find 
a substitute in jewsharps and gingercakes. 

The storekeeper is an obliging man, when a customer from 
a distance visits his store. Should the visitor be an aged 
lady, he will invite her to a seat and inquire about her health, 
and that of her family — for he knows all about her usually, as 
he docs of all his customers. Life in that section is like an 
" open book." Everj^body knows everybody else " that's worth 
knowing," and the knowledge they have of one another is not 
obtained by inquisitive intrusion into one another's affairs. 
They and their forefathers have lived and mingled together 
in all the affairs of life so frequently and intimately that 
there could be no concealment of a " character " such as the 
noted " Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde." It is both interesting and 
astonishing to hear the geneaology of families rehearsed with 
perfect knowledge by those living in far distant counties. 

If the old lady is " given to talk " she will give to the store- 
keeper a recital of all her troubles before she intimates her 
desire to trade. The storekeeper will listen attentively, for- 
getting at the time that he has troubles of his own, a few of 
which will develop when the old lady calls for many of the 
articles he is " out of," and of which he cannot convince her 
he has good substitutes. 

Virginia folks are generally easy to suit, and if they can- 
not get what they call for, they will nevertheless often make 
purchases to the extent of the means which they carry for the 
occasion. If a customer calls for a pair of long shoe strings, 
and the storekeeper is " out " of long shoe strings, he may sell 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS 307 

a hame string instead, and the long shoe strings at a later day. 

The size and fit of many articles of clothing — shoes, hats, 
pantaloons, etc., are determined upon by " reckoning " by the 
parents of the children who were " left at home." The 
father of a boy who needs a hat or pantaloons will " try the 
fit " of the hat upon his own head, and will " reckon " the 
size of the pantaloons of his boy, with outstretched arms, 
while grasping the bottom hems of each leg of the garment, 
and will at last " reckon they're all right." Unless these 
garments are for " Sunday wear," the exact fit is not of great 
importance. If the pants are " too short for Jim " they " will 
fit John," and Jim" must wait until " Pap " goes again to the 
village store, at which time the kind mother insists that the 
child — 18 year old Jim — should accompany Pap, and " get a 
fit." If Jim does not get a fit at the store, his " sweetheart " 
will surely have one when first she views her Jim in the new 
" rig " which the obliging storekeeper " put upon him " in 
lieu of what was called for and which he was " out of." 

It is much easier work to " keep sto' " in Virginia than it is 
to plough corn on a hot July day, or to chop cord wood on a 
cold winter's day in the lonely woods, and it is an especially 
easy job to keep store in the Forest section where the daily 
customers are few and far between, and so distant from a rail- 
road that they do not ever entertain the notion of having to 
" catch a train," and therefore have abundance of time. The 
customer will feed his horse at the horse rack before he gets 
ready to trade. The storekeeper will assist him in the feed- 
ing by the loan of an empty soap box, and may unhitch one 
side of the traces and breech band, and " shove the buggy 
back and give the boss a chance." 

Barter was a common method of trading until after the 
Civil "War, and is yet to a more limited extent. The mer- 
chant would take in trade anything which he could find a 
market for. He might get a few cords of wood from one 
customer, and a bag of goose feathers from another. The old 



308 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

lady knitters might barter the products of their busy fingers — 
mittens, socks, and neck comforts — for Sunday " poke " bon- 
nets and hoop skirts for their daughters. A lady attired in 
an old fashioned full hoop skirt which was in fashion " befo' 
an' endurin' uv de wah/' was approachable only at the risk of 
upsetting her whole apparel. 

Whenever one side of the old fashioned hoop skirt came in 
contact with an object of greater resistance the opposite side 
tilted skyward; and when the wearer of this garment was 
about to be seated she was forced to fold the rear of the skirt 
nearly to her waist, else when she sat down the front of the 
garment would have tilted to an angle sufficiently high as to 
have exposed to view much of her underwear. 

Much of the business of a Forest store is yet conducted in 
" barter " — the customer exchanging chickens and eggs, and 
other small products for such commodities as may be needed, 
or that the storekeeper may have on hand. 

During the first few years after the Civil War, the custom 
of bartering, or buying and selling, was new to the emanci- 
pated negro. Many of the older ones were industrious and 
successful enough to obtain homes of their own, or to rent 
land on shares, and thus become possessed of their own 
chickens, hogs, corn, and other products. These they carried 
to the nearby stores, and after their value was agreed upon, 
they exchanged — bartered them — ^with the merchant for his 
goods. As the negro was usually totally illiterate, and inno- 
cently ignorant of arithmetic, it was a task beyond his skill 
to keep a tally of "how he stood" after each purchase. 
Toward the ending of his bargaining, he might call for an 
article which greatly exceeded the " balance due " him, and 
upon being informed of his mistake, would generally " right 
himself," and clear up his account by calling for the balance 
in cheese and crackers, or ginger cakes and sardines. 

Cheese and crackers were universal favorites with the many, 
and the " ranker " the cheese the greater the demand. 
IJsually the business of the Forest storekeeper does not war- 



LIFE AND CUSTOMS §09 

rant the help of a clerk, and when the storekeeper is " pushed 
with business " he will call upon some one of his customers to 
" lend a hand," During a " big rush of business " at a cer- 
tain one of these stores, the merchant was assisted by a 
willing, but " green one," who was given charge of the 
cracker barrel and the cheese box, but unfortunately the 
cheese box, and the " patent axle grease " box were in 
close proximity, and in a dark corner of the candle 
lighted storehouse. A negro called for the balance due him, 
in cheese and crackers, and after being served, he seated him- 
self upon a barrel head, and began his repast. After he had 
finished his pound of crackers and a pound of cheese, it was 
discovered by the merchant that the "green helper" had 
given axle greese instead of cheese to the negro, who upon 
being asked how he liked the cheese, smacked his lips, and re- 
plied : " I 'spect Boss, yo' mus' a had dat cheese on han' a 
right smaht while ; it's a little rankish." 

The Village store, and also the cross roads store in a 
thickly settled section, are popular resorts in the evenings for 
young and old. As they assemble, they occupy the stools, 
benches, nail kegs, barrel heads, and every other available 
article which will afford a seat, excepting the floor. The 
" late comers " seat themselves upon the counter, and then 
the evening's session begins by discussions of "neighborhood 
happenings," and subjects of important interest, etc., and 
winds up with laughable yarns by some local wit. In the 
meantime, the " sto' keeper " is complacently located behind 
his counter, propped up on a cracker, or sugar barrel, enjoy- 
ing the " session," which is uninterrupted by " sordid traffic " 
until near " bed time," when there are sudden calls for " sto' 
tobacco," sugar, coffee, and matches. Thus the Tidewater 
Virginia storekeeper winds up his busy days. The writer is 
indebted to these " nightly sessions " for much information 
and amusement. 

The store of a village, and prominent cross roads section, 
are the equivalents of the city social club house. 



CHAPTER XXI 
Miscellaneous. 



There are many other things about old Virginia worthy of 
narrative, and in this chapter the writer has presumed upon 
the reader to give in a miscellaneous way a number of matters, 
in which he has become interested. 

I. Virginia Financiering. 

The credit system in America originated in Virginia. In 
the early years of the Colony there was no money in cir- 
culation. Tobacco was the staple crop, the standard of 
values and the circulation medium, as well as the main 
article of export, for the planters. It became a necessity 
for the planter to seek credits for his pressing needs until 
the harvesting of his tobacco. 

This product was bulky and inconvenient to carry from 
place to place as a medium of exchange. Therefore, the 
Colonial Government authorized tobacco warehouses, called 
" rolling houses," from the method of rolling the tobacco 
along the road in hogsheads to the shij^ping point. 

In the early years of the colony, the public highways of 
Tidewater Virginia were almost impassable for heavily laden 
vehicles. The planters therefore, in order to get their tobacco 
to the shipping point, prepared their hogsheads, or casks, for 
rolling by driving a long wooden spike into the center of each 
end of the cask, a part of which projected beyond to serve as 
axletree. A split sapling was fitted for shafts and extended 
to rear of cask ; the ends of the sapling shafts were there con- 
nected with a hickory withe ; a few slabs were nailed to these, 

[310] 



MISCELLANEOUS 311 

in front of the cask, forming a foot board or box, in which 
were stored for the journey, a middling or two of meat, a 
bag of meal, a frying pan, a hoe, an axe, and a blanket to 
shelter the driver at night, and fodder and corn for the ani- 
mals. 

If the distance to market was moderate, the cask was rolled 
on its hoops, which were stout and numerous, but if fifty or 
more miles, rough felloes were spiked to each end to 
strengthen it. 

There were men who engaged solely in this business. They 
traveled in parties and assisted each other on the Journey. 
They were sometimes engaged one or two weeks in making 
the return trip. At night fall, they kindled a fire in the 
woods by the road side, baked a hoe cake, fried some bacon, 
fed their team, and rolled their blanket around them and 
slept, by the fire near their cask. The " tobacco rollers " 
were a rough set of men generally. 

A furnace stood near each warehouse, and tobacco unfit for 
export was burned there in accordance with law which for- 
bade the sale of poor tobacco. 

These rolling houses were in charge of government in- 
spectors who weighed, stored and sold the tobacco, and after 
the public dues were deducted, the balance was delivered to 
the producer. 

Acts were passed providing that the inspectors of the ware- 
houses should be obliged to deliver promissory notes for the 
full quantity of tobacco received by them " which notes shall 
be and are hereby declared to be current and paible in all 
tobacco paiments whatsoever, acording to the species ex- 
pressed in the note * * and shall be transferred from one to 
another in all such paiments, and shall be paid and satisfied 
by the inspector who signed the same upon demand." It v/as 
further provided that such notes could be renewed, and to 
counterfeit them was made a felony. If the notes were re- 



312 LIPE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

newed and the fees paid, the tobacco was sold and the balance 
of the proceeds after collecting fees, was turned over to the 
last holder on demand. 

The fault in this system was the uncertainty and perish- 
ableness of its basis, if the tobacco spoiled or deteriorated in 
quality or quantity. Later acts were passed to guard against 
these conditions, in which it was provided that no " crop 
note " older than eighteen months should be legal tender. 

In 1633, an attempt was made, at the instance of the for- 
eign merchants, to force the colonists to settle their debts in 
money and not in tobacco, and for this purpose an act of 
Assembly was passed with the following preamble: 
"Whereas it hath been the usual custom of merchants and 
others dealing intermutually in this colony, to make all bar- 
gains, and contracts, and to keep all accounts in tobacco, and 
not in money " * *. It then goes on to enact that in future 
they should be kept in money, etc. But it was found so in- 
convenient to represent value by an arbitrary standard, the 
representative of which did not exist in the colony, that 
another act was passed in January, 1641, declaring that: — 
" Whereas many and great inconveniences do daily arise by 
dealing for money. Be it enacted and confirmed by the 
authority of this present Grand Assembly, that all money 
debts made since the 26th day of March, 1643, or which here- 
after shall be made, shall not be pleadable or recoverable in 
any court of justice under this government." 

An exception was made in 1643 in favor of debts contracted 
for horses or sheep, but money debts generally were not made 
recoverable again until 1656. 

For the whole Colonial period there were no banks. The 
" Bank of Alexandria," in Alexandria City, was the first bank 
chartered in Virginia by Act of Assembly, November 23, 
1792. 

The first organized bank in the United States, and the first 



MISCELLANEOUS 313 

one which had any direct relation to the Government of the 
United States, commenced operation on January 7, 1782. 
It had its origin as a banking company without a charter, in 
a meeting of citizens of Philadelphia, on June 17, 1780, at 
which it was resolved to open a security subscription of 
300,000 pounds, the intention being to supply the army 
which was at that time destitute of the common necessaries 
of life, and therefore was on the verge of mutiny. 

It was granted a charter by Congress, May 26, 1781, 
under the name of the Bank of North America. It also 
accepted a charter from the State of Pennsylvania, which 
was renewed from time to time until December 3, 1864, when 
it became a National Bank. 

The second bank of the United States was chartered by 
Congress, April 10, 1816, limited to twenty years, expiring 
March 3, 1836. 

Prior to the chartering of the National Banks, during the 
Civil War, the nation relied mainly upon the issue of State 
bank notes for the circulating medium of exchange, together 
with the small amount of gold and silver coins, much of which 
was of foreign coinage. In the year 1860, the money in cir- 
culation was $13.85 per capita. In the year 1905, it was 
$31.08 per capita. 

Great distress resulted from the floods of unchartered bank 
currency throughout the nation from 1812 to 1820, and in later 
years the chartering of banks, especially in the West, author- 
izing the issue of circulating notes without security and in 
excess of capital was the cause of much trouble. The Gov- 
ernor of Indiana, referring to such banks — known as " Wild 
Cat " — said in his message in the year 1853, " The specula- 
tor comes to Indianapolis with a bundle of bank notes in one 
hand and the stock in the other; in twenty-four hours he is 
on his way to some distant point of the Union to circulate 
"what he denominates a legal currency authorized by the legis- 



314 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

lature of Indiana. He has nominally located his bank in 
some remote part of the State, difficult of access, where he 
knows no banking facilities are required, and intends hh 
notes shall go into the hands of persons who will have no 
means of demanding their redemption." 

Much of the money of that period was of such doubtful 
value that before being accepted in payment, it was subject 
to a discount of greater or lesser sum, which was graduated 
by the reputation of the bank of issue. The discount was 
especially large when the note was exchanged in a State 
other than that in which it was first issued. 

These financial conditions gave rise to " note shavers," and 
" money brokers." The former conducted business mainly 
in the rural sections, and the latter were found in the cities, 
and big towns throughout the United States, where they kept 
" open shop," with a display of bank notes and coin in their 
show windows, like Jewelry shops of the present day, ready to 
exchange one State money for another — always for pay. 

The necessity of seeking credits during the early years of the 
colony of Virginia became the privilege and custom followed 
by many Virginia gentlemen up to the close of the Civil War. 
Court day was therefore a busy day with the " Note Shavers ;" 
a class of men whose business it was to loan money, 
and to trade in financial paper of every description. They 
were shrewdly informed as to the ability of every " man of 
note " in their section, and could determine at a moment's 
notice the discount or premium at which the man's paper 
promises should be exchanged or received. The planters' 
notes passed from hand to hand in their own or the adjoining 
counties in payment of other debts, and were sometimes 
accepted, through the local merchants, in payment of their 
purchases in the nearby cities. The notes of a well-to-do 
planter — the owner of extensive lands and numerous ser- 
vants — were as good, and in many cases were prefered to 



MISCELLANEOUS 315 

those of many of the bank notes then in circulation. The 
people were usually slow in making final settlements, many 
of whom renewed their promises from time to time until 
their death. This condition gave rise to a class of officers — 
Com.missioners — who thrived by the business of settling up 
such estates. 

Money was never the idol for the worship of Virginians. 
Wlrile they recognized its convenience, to a certain extent, 
they also recognized the fact, through a long experience, that 
they could live and thrive without an abundance of this com- 
modity. The owners of lands and servants procured all the 
necessaries, and the luxuries of food, which the soil, and the 
adjacent waters, could supply, and to that extent they were 
self-sustaining and independent. 

These people entertain no greedy anxiety to pile up dollars 
at the expense of their conscience, by sharp practices upon 
their fellow man, nor even at the sacrifice of great self-denial 
to their own needy comforts. 

A full corn crib, wheat bin and meat house, and enough 
goodly shaped stacks of blade fodder, to last until " grazing 
time," insures the thrifty owners an independence, and ease 
of conscience, which the millionaire possessor of ill gotten 
gains cannot experience, because these are the fruits of honest 
toil which none but the holders thereof have just claims upon. 

"Our portion is not large, indeed; 
But then how little do we need! 
For nature's calls are few: 
In this the art of living lies, 

To want no more than may suffice. 
And make that little do." 

Up to the period of the general introduction of machinery 
for the weaving and manufacture of cloth, and for many 
years thereafter, '' homespun " goods supplied the wants of 
their household. 



316 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

ExceiDting wliere the planter was improvident, or a great 
spendthrift, the greater amount of indebtedness was created 
for additional lands and servants. 

Frequently the lands were tilled until they were no longer 
productive ; they were then " turned out/' and became " old 
fields/' to replenish through years of " rest/' while growing 
timber, after which they were again tilled. Thus it was that 
more land was needed than was cultivated during a season. 
Owing to a better system of soil cultivation, together with the 
many new industries that have been introduced since the Civil 
War, the " note shavers' " occupation is now a lost art in that 
section. 

There is now established throughout the rural sections a 
system of private banks, known as the " Mumford Banking 
Co." Its stock is distributed throughout the localities of its 
several banks which are situated at the Court House villages, 
and the larger towns of Tidewater Virginia. 

Until within the last two or three decades, there was not a 
bank, postal money, or registry office, or express office within 
the whole section of rural tidewater. 

Prior to the establishment of these conveniences, the mer- 
chants and others were forced to depend upon the generosity 
of neighbors, who upon visiting a city were burdened with 
the money and messages of a neighborhood. 

The greatest financial struggle which the people of Vir- 
ginia have experienced within a half century was directly 
after the Civil War. Much of the indebtedness during the 
four years of war, was in Confederate money, and when the 
war closed, with a repudiation of that currency, it left the 
debtor and the creditor in doubt as to how a settlement should 
be had. For this purpose, a " stay law " was enacted, which 
gave additional time for settlement. 

The rapid decline of this money is humorously illustrated 
in a story told of a Confederate soldier who was going to his 



MISCELLANEOUS 317 

home on a furlough, during the last year of the war, and 
while stopping at a village horse trough to water his horse, 
he was offered $3,000 for the animal. " Three thousand dol- 
lars," replied the soldier. ''^YllJ man, I just now paid the 
nigger hostler $1,000 for currjdng him." 

President Davis in his message of March 11, 1865, refers to 
the exorbitant prices charged for food for the army, — " $50 
a bushel for corn, $700 a barrel for flour." 

II. The Sufferings of the Civil Wae; Some War 

Poetry. 

Gettsyburg was the greatest battle of the war ; Antietam the 
bloodiest. Wlierever the two armies alternated in the posses- 
sion of a battle ground, the wounded were necessarily 
neglected, and thus it was that thousands died whose lives 
could have been saved by slight attention, which was impos- 
sible to render at the time of need. 

A battle field, after severe fighting, presented sights too 
horrible for the human eye. Upon these fields could be seen 
God's own image, torn limb from limb, and scattered like 
chaff before the wind, or found drenched in pools of the 
heart's blood, gory, ghastly, and sickening to the eye and the 
heart. 

Major General Darius M. Couch, a Federal officer of the 
Civil War, in '^ Battles and Leaders," makes the following 
statement concerning the suffering and frightful slaughter, 
touching on the incident of the assault on Marye's Heights, 
battle of Fredericksburg, February 14, 1862: "The night 
was bitter cold and a fearful one for the front line hugging 
the hollows in the ground, and for the wounded who could 
not be reached. It was a night of dreadful suffering. Many 
died of wounds and exposure, and as fast as men died, they 
stiffened in the wintry air, and on the front line were rolled 



318 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

forward for protection to the living. Frozen men were placed 
for dumb sentries." 

Brigadier-General John B. Imboden, of the Confederate 
Army, makes the following statement respecting the moving 
of the wounded from Gettysburg back to Virginia : 

*' The column moved rapidly, considering the rough roads 
and darkness, and from almost every wagon for many miles 
issued heart rending wails of agony. For four hours, I hur- 
ried forward on my way to the front, and in all that time I 
was never out of hearing of the groans and cries of the 
wounded and dying. Scarcely one in a hundred had received 
adequate surgical aid, owing to the demands on the hard 
working surgeons from still v/orse cases that had to be left be- 
hind. Many of the wounded in the wagons had been without 
food for thirty-six hours. Their torn and bloody clothing, 
matted and hardened, was rasping the tender inflamed, and 
still oozing wounds. Very few of the wagons had even a 
layer of straw in them, and all were without springs. The 
road was rough and rocky from heavy washings of the pre- 
ceding day. The jolting was enough to have killed strong 
men, if long exposed to it. From every wagon as the teams 
trotted on, urged by whip and shout, came such cries and 
shrieks as these : 

' Stop. Oh, for God's sake stop just one minute ; take me 
out and leave me to die on the roadside.' 

' I am dying. I am dying. My poor wife, my dear chil- 
dren, what will become of you?' 

^' Some were simply moaning ; some were praying ; and 
others uttering the most fearful oaths and execrations that 
despair and agony could bring from them, while a majority, 
with stoicism sustained by blind devotion to the cause they 
fought for, endured without complaint unspeakable tortures, 
and even spoke words of cheer and comfort to their unhappy 
comrades of less will and more acute nerves. Occasionally 
a wagon would be passed from which only low, deep moans 




Residence of General R. E. Lee, Richmond, Va. 

Now occupied by tlie Virginia Historical fociety. 



MISCELLANEOUS 3l9 

could be heard. No help could be rendered to any one of the 
sufferers. No heed could be given to any of their appeals. 
Mercy and duty to the many forbade the loss of a moment in 
the vain effort then and there to comply with the prayers of 
the few. On, on, we must move on. The storm continued 
and the darkness was appalling. There was no time even to 
fill a canteen with water for a dying man; for, except the 
drivers and the guards, all were wounded and utterly helpless 
in that vast procession of misery. During this one night I 
realized more of the horrors of war than I had in all of the 
two preceding years." 

The last volley of the war was fired about sunset, on May 
13, 1865, at the battle of Palmetto Eanche, between White's 
Ranche and the Boca Chica Strait, Texas, just ten days short 
of four years since the killing of Ellsworth and Jackson at 
Alexandria, Virginia. On April 2, 1866, President Johnson 
issued a proclamation declaring the Civil War to be at an end. 

The Civil War virtually ended when Lee and Grant met 
at 2 o'clock P. M., on Palm Sunday, April 9, 1865, at Wilmer 
McLean's dwelling, in Appomattox, Virginia, and agreed 
that the former war horses of the Confederates should there- 
after be hitched to the plov/ instead of to the caisson. 

During the whole of the war, the excitement was intense 
throughout the whole country, and those only whose hearts 
were cold and selfish could refrain from taking sides with one 
or the other parties to this great conflict of arms. All true 
Americans, Forth and South, are proud of the valor and 
heroism displayed by both sides in that mighty struggle for 
a principle as each viewed it from their own standpoint. 

" Your flag and my flag and how it flies to-day, 
In your land and my land and Iialf a world away; 
Rose red and blood red, its stripes forever gleam. 
Snow white and soul white, the good forefathers' dream; 
Sky blue and true blue, with stars that gleam aright. 
The gloried guidon of the day, a shelter through the night. 



320 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

"Your flag and my flag, and oh, how much it holds! 
Your land and my land secure within its folds; 
Your heart and my heart beat quicker at the sight. 
Sun kissed and wind tossed, the red and blue and white; 
The one flag, the great flag, the flag for me and you. 
Glorified all else beside, the red and white and blue." 

A civilization that permits the scenes of war has not accom- 
plished a good mission upon earth. War, the worst survival 
of savage life, should forever cease, and arbitration of nations, 
and of communities should assume the responsibilities. 

When the war ended, the soldiers of the two armies re- 
turned to their respective homes, and took up anew the pur- 
suits of civil life. The quiet and rapid manner in which 
these two great armies of veteran soldiers again resumed the 
duties of private life, was an astonishing lesson to the nations 
of the earth. Many of the ex-Federal soldiers, charmed with 
the climate and the people of the South, returned there to 
make it their abiding home. 

Negroes were employed in the work upon fortifications, in 
hospitals, and other places under the Confederate war depart- 
ment. The Journal of the House of Eepresentatives of the 
Confederate States of America, 87th day, Monday, February 
20, 1865, states :— 

Several bills were introduced to "incorporate the colored 
people, so called, into the military service, into the Provisional 
Army of the Confederate States, and to organize them into 
companies, squadrons, battalions, regiments, brigades, divi- 
sions, or otherwise, as to the General in Chief may seem most 
expedient: Provided, That said organizations shall be com- 
manded only by white commissioned officers," etc. 

Prior to this date, there were several such bills, or resolu- 
tions offered, but they failed in providing for negro soldiers 
for the defense of the Confederate States until March 7, 1865, 
when a bill was passed authorizing the President-^Jefferson 
Davis — ^to ask for and accept from the owners of negro slaves 



MISCELLANEOUS 321 

as many able bodied negroes as he might deem expedient to 
perform military service in any capacity he might direct. 
President Davis in his message of March 13, 1865, refers to 
this bill as follows : " The bill for employing negroes as 
'soldiers has not reached me though the printed journals of 
your proceedings inform me of its passage. Much benefit is 
anticipated from this measure, though far less than would 
have resulted from its adoption at an earlier date, so as to 
afford time for their organization and instruction during the 
winter months." 

The historian Pollard, in his life of Jefferson Davis makes 
the following comment upon this latter bill for arming the 
slaves : " The fruits of this emasculated measure were two 
companies of blacks organized from some negro vagabonds in 
Richmond, which were allowed to give free balls at the Libby 
Prison and were exhibited in fine, fresh uniforms on Capitol 
Square, as decoys to obtain sable recruits." 

From Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States 
of America, 1861-1865, Vol. VII, page 542, 75th day, Mon- 
day, February 6, 1865. 

" Mr. Moore offered the following resolution :" 

''Resolved. That the Committee on Military Affairs in- 
quire into the expediency of investing the President with the 
authority by law to call into the service of the Confederate 
States all the able bodied negro men within the limits of said 
States, to be used in such manner and for such purposes as 
the Commander in Chief of our armies may direct, and on 
such terms as he may think will render them most efficient in 
aiding in the military defences of our country." 

Several amendments to this resolution were offered, 
amongst which was that of Mr. Marshall, by which the Presi- 
dent was authorized to " call into the military service of the 
Confederate States such number of the male colored popula- 
tion, whether free or slave, between the ages of 18 and 45 
31 



322 LIPE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

years as may be called for by the General in Chief command- 
ing the armies of the Confederate States and as the Presi- 
dent may deem it expedient and conducive to the public in- 
terest to use in defense of the country. He is hereby 
authorized to incorporate the colored people, so called, into 
the military service, into the Provisional Army of the Con- 
federate States, and to organize them into companies, squad- 
rons, battalions, regiments, brigades," etc. It provided that 
these be commanded by white officers, to be appointed by the 
President. They were to receive the same clothing, pay, 
rations, etc., as white soldiers. 

" In 1861, 300 free negroes of Petersburg, Va., offered 
their services to the Confederate Government either to fight 
under white officers, or to ditch and dig." 

Many servants were voluntary followers of their soldier 
master. In many cases, they were the faithful nurse, or the 
heart broken, only friend at the master's death upon the 
battle field. For such devoted service, the old ex-Confederate 
would plight his life for his sable friend. 

The favorite song of the Confederacy was " Dixie," which 
it is said was composed in the year 1860, by Dan Emmett, a 
famous comedian, born in New York City. 

God made dis worl' in jus' six days 
An' finish'd it in various ways. 

Chorus 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

He den made Dixie trim an' nice, 

When Adam called it "Paradise" 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Den I wish I was in Dixie, look 'way, look 'way 

In Dixie Lan' I'll took my stan' to lib and die in Dixie. 

Away, away, away down South in Dixie, 
Away, away, away down South in Dixie, 



MISCELLANEOUS 333 

I wish I was in de Ian' ob cotton, 
Old times dar are not forgotten. 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Den I wish I was in Dixie, look 'way, look 'way. 

'Twas Dixie Ian' whar I was bom in 
Early on one frosty mornin' 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

In Dixie Ian' de darkies grow 
If white folks only plant der toe 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Dey wet de groun' wid 'bacco smoke 
Den up de darkies head will poke 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Buckwheat cakes an' cornmeal batter 
Makes you fat or a little fatter 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

But if yo' want to drive away sorrer. 
Come an' hear dis song termorrer 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Den hoe it down an' scratch yo' grabble 
To Dixie Ian' I'm boun' to trabble 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Den here's de health to my ole Missus, 
An' all de gals dat wants to kiss us 

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Ian'. 

Away, away, away down South in Dixie. 

At the beginning of the Civil War the Potomac River was 
the dividing line between the Confederate and the Federal 
States. 

The following poem was written by a Confederate soldier 
from Mississippi, named Fontaine, who was noted for his 
daring deeds during the siege of Vicksburg. 



324 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

It is said it was inspired by having his friend and com- 
rade shot down in his presence by an unseen sharpshooter : 

" All quiet along the Potomac," they say. 
Except here and there a stray picket 
Is shot as he walks on his beat to and fro, 
By a rifleman hid in the thicket. 

'Tis nothing — a private or two now and then 
Will not count in the news of the battle; 

Not an officer lost — only one of the men — 
Moaning out, all alone, the death-rattle. 

All quiet along the Potomac to-night, 

Where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming; 

Their tents, in the rays of the clear autumn moon 
Or in the light of their camp-fires, gleaming. 

A tremulous sigh as a gentle night wind 

Through the forest leaves softly is creeping. 

While the stars up above with their glittering eyes 
Keep guard o'er the army while sleeping. 

There is only the sound of the lone sentry's tread 
As he tramps from the rock to the fountain. 

And thinks of the two on the low trundle bed 
Far away in the cot on the mountain. 

His musket falls back, and his face dark and grim. 

Grows gentle with memories tender 
As he mutters a prayer for the children asleep, 

For their mother — may heaven defend her! 

The moon seems to shine as brightly as then, 
That night when the love yet unspoken 

Leaped up to his lips and when low murmured vows 
Were pledged to be ever unbroken. 

Then, drawing roughly his sleeve o'er his eyes. 

He dashes off tears that are welling, 
And gathers his gun close up to Its place 

As if to keep down the heart swelling. 



I 



MISCELLANEOUS 335 

He passes the fountain, the blasted pine tree. 

His footsteps are lagging and weary 
Yet onward he goes through the broad belt of light 

Toward the shades of the forest so dreary. 

Hark! was it the night wind rustled the leaves. 

Was it moonlight so wondrously flashing? 
It looked like a rifle. " Ha! Mary, good-by!" 

And the life-blood is ebbing and plashing. 

AH quiet along the Potomac to-night, 

No sound save the rush of the river; 
While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead — 

That picket's off duty forever. 

Ill, The Ex-Confederate Soldier. 

The Confederate soldier reached his home upon his lean 
war horse which Grant and Lee both agreed he needed to plow 
his land. The less fortunate infantrj'man, who belonged to 
the " walkin' regiments/' came hozne barefoot, and each and 
all of them with their clothing full of holes, some of which 
were made by briars, and some by bullets. The four years 
of Civil War, from which they returned, was not a series of 
pleasant picnics, or of mimic war, but was a serious and 
shocking endeavor of men of the South and of the North to 
kill one another or to run big risks in trying. 

The hardships which a soldier endured in the time of war, 
are almost beyond belief. In the matter of clothing and 
food, the Federal soldier was better provided than the Con- 
federate. This was due mainly to the fact that the Fed- 
eral Government had the outside world to draw from while 
the Confederacy was obliged to depend upon home products, 
and the few articles brought in by blockade runners. During 
the last two years of the war, the capture of a big Federal 
supply train was a matter of as much significance to the Con- 
federates as the victory on a battle field. 



326 



LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 



The enormous increase of prices of articles in the Con- 
federate States was so alarming as to force the Confederate 
Government to an effort to regulate them. An attempt was 
made in the year 1864 to enforce the following schedule of 
prices : 



Salt, bush $ 35.00 

Axes, each 12.00 

Bacon, lb 3.00 

Apples (dried), lb 5.00 

Beef, (fresh), lb 1.00 

Candles, lb 8.75 

Coffee (Rio) lb 4.00 

Flour, (bbl.) 45.00 

Horses or mules, each. 1000.00 

Oxen, yoke lOOO.OD 

Iron (pig), ton 350.00 

Iron (wrg't bars) ton., 1030.00 

Lard, lb 2.75 

Leather, sole, lb 6.00 

Nails, cut, keg 100.00 

Onions, bush 8.00 



Potatoes (sweet) bus. .$ 4.00 

Pork, (fresh) lb 2.25 

Quinine, per oz 56.00 



1.30 
8.00 

15.00 
1.00 
3.00 
8.00 
3.00 
2.50 
1.50 

10.00 
7.50 
8.00 
Wagon 350.00 



Cotton cloth, yd. . . . 
Steel (cast), per lb. 

Shoes (army) 

Soap (rosin), lb 

Sugar (brown), lb. ,, 

Tea, lb 

Tobacco (plug) . . . . 

Tallow, lb 

Duck (10 oz.), yd. ,, 

Whiskey, gal 

Wheat, bush 

Wool, lb 



It is stated that after the first year of the war, the daily 
rations of a Confederate soldier when marching or fighting, 
were one pint of cornmeal, one-fourth pound of bacon. If 
camping, in addition to this he drew one-fourth pound of 
sugar, or one-half pint of molasses, three-fourths of a pound 
of black peas, one ounce of salt, and one-eighth of a pound of 
soap, and on Christmas Day, a " jagger of pinetop whiskey." 

When Confederate General E. Kirby Smith invaded Ken- 
tucky in 1862, his army had ten days' rations issued to them 
and started afoot over the mountains to get in the rear of 
Cumberland Gap. At the end of the sixth day, there were 
not six pounds of rations in the whole division. In order to 
supply his men with something to eat, he bought whole fields 
of corn, which were in the roasting ear stage, and the sol- 
diers were told to help themselves. Having left their wagon 



MISCELLANEOUS 337 

and supply train behind with their cooking utensils, they 
were obliged to build fires to roast the corn, the result being 
that it was burned black on the outside and raw on the inside. 
An ex-Confederate soldier told the writer that his daily ration 
for more than a week before the surrender at Appomattox, 
was an ear of corn for himself and three for his horse. 

It is tradition, that there was but one man in the whole of 
Tidewater Virginia who failed to do his duty when called 
upon by his mother State, Virginia, and this was an old fel- 
low who had been a lone widower for many years, and just at 
the date when the State of Virginia issued an urgent call for 
more troops, which included men of his age, he happily met 
with a worthy helpmeet in the person of a widow, who had 
cast off her widow's weeds many years without benefit until 
this last and fortunate meeting with the liero of this story. 
His newly made spouse believing in the adage that " he who 
is in battle slain can never rise to fight again," declared 'to 
him in pleading tones that slie would die if he went to the 
war, and to save her life he consented to submit himself to 
her guidance. Fortunately for her scheme, she discovered an 
old, discarded hen's nest full of eggs that had attained an age 
of strength which made them famous in strong odors. This 
affectionate wife selected two from the nest which she believed 
had secreted the most substantial and lasting odors, and with 
these, she filled both ears of the idol of her eye, then plugged 
each ear solidly with cotton batting, and accompanied him to 
the recruiting officer for the physical examination which each 
new recruit must undergo. Upon being questioned by the 
examining surgeon as to his ailments, the good wife answered 
that her spouse was " a great sufferer from a misery in his 
ears." Upon removing the cotton plugs, and inhaling the 
pent up odors of the discarded nest, the officer was convinced, 
and hastily advised the good woman to get her husband home 
as rapidly as possible as he had " but a short while to live." 

When the Confederate soldier first reached his home after 



328 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

the war, he was angry, but he soon banished this feeling, and 
discovered there were victories to be won in peace as glorious 
as any he had participated in as a soldier. Occasionally, he 
found a proxy, to give vent to feelings such as his, in the per- 
son of a noted ballad singer named " Gregory," who, imme- 
diately after the war, conducted what was acknowledged by 
all his audience as " The Best One Man Show on Earth." 
Gregory could count on a " full house " and a most boisterous 
and hearty encore wherever, and as often as he sang " The 
Good Old Eebel," accompanying his voice with his nimble 
fingers on a big banjo. The words of this ballad were full of 
the strength of expression, and the sound of defiance suitable 
to the times. Gregory's voice in song made many a heavy 
heart feel light. Peace to his ashes is the wish of all who 
ever heard him. 

THE GOOD OLD REBEL. 

" O, I'm a good rebel, 

Now that's just what I am, 
For this "Pair land of Freedom" 

I do not care a damn; 
I'm glad I fit against it, 

I only wish we'd won. 
And I don't want no pardon 

For anything I done. 

"I hates the Constitution, 

This great Republic too, 
I hates the freedman's Buro, 

In uniform of blue: 
I hates the nasty eagle 

With all its bragg and fuss 
The lyin', thievin' Yankees, 

I hates them wuss and wuss. 

" I hates the Yankee nation 

And everything they do, 
I hates the Declaration 
Of Independence too; 



MISCELLANEOUS 329 

I hates the glorious Union — 

'Tis dripping with our blood — 

I hates their striped banner, 
I fit it all I could. 

Three hundred thousand Yankees 

Is stiff in Southern dust; 
We got three hundred thousand 

Before they conquered us; 
They died of Southern fever 

And Southern steel and shot, 
I wish they was three million, 

Instead of what we got. 

" I followed Old Ma's Robert 

For four years near about, 
Got wounded in three places, 

And starved at Pint Lookout; 
I cotched the roomaatism 

A campin' in the snow. 
But I killed a lot o' Yankees, 

I'd like to kill some mo*. 

"I can't take up my musket 

And fight 'em now no more, 
But I ain't a-going to love 'em, 

Now that is sartin sure; 
And I don't want no pardon, 

For what I was and am, 
I won't be reconstructed, 

And I don't care a damn." 

After a while spent in neighborhood pleasures in which he 
participated with a zest that proved they were appreciated by 
him, the Confederate soldier laid aside his tattered uniform 
of grey and went to work as he had oftentimes gone to bat- 
tle — determined to win. The cleared fields, the many new 
industries, and the prosperous happy homes in the " New 
Southland " tell the story of the success of the " Old Con- 
federate soldier returned from the war." 



330 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Tlirougliout the several counties of Virginia, in nearly 
every instance, there are erected beautiful monuments of 
granite or marble shafts, silent but loving tributes to the 
memory of the " Soldier of the Southern Confederacy," 
They were paid for and are maintained by the voluntary con- 
tribution of the people in the respective counties. 

IV. The Mereimac and Monitor. 

The several peninsulas into which Tidewater Virginia is 
divided have each their own interesting history which unfor- 
tunately cannot be noted here. In fact, each county of that 
section is so intimately, and sufficiently connected with inci- 
dents of the earliest settlements of America, and with other 
later important events of America's history as to furnish data 
for large volumes. 

Virginia guards the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, as the 
lands upon both sides of the Capes, Charles and Henry, from 
the shores of the Atlantic Ocean inland, are the territory of 
tlie State. 

On the south side of the entrance is Cape Henry, and there 
begins the " Norfolk Peninsula." This region in which the 
colonists first set foot upon Virginia's soil now contains the 
second largest city in the State. It is named Norfolk, and 
was first established as a town in 1705, Its location for a 
town was selected by Act of Assembly, in 1680, which pro- 
vided for the building of a town in each of the twenty coun- 
ties then formed : " In Lower Norfolk County on Nicholas 
Wise his land on the Capital Eastern Branch on Elizabeth 
Eiver at the entrance on the Branch." It is one of the few 
cities of America receiving its charter from the Crown of 
England. In 1736 it was formed into a Borough by Koyal 
Charter from George III. 

The U, S, Navy Yard is situated within the same harbor, 




Confederate Monument, Hollywood, Richmond, Va. 



MISCELLANEOUS 331 

on Elizabeth River in that portion known as Gosport, within 
the city of Portsmouth which was established in 1753. The 
early settlers of this section were mainly Scotch and Irish. 

This vicinity was often the scene of important military 
events in the wars of the Eevolution, and in 1812-15, and 
also during the Civil War. The most notable event occurring 
in that vicinity during the Civil War was the fight between 
the first iron clad vessels ever to engage in battle. 

From out of Norfolk harbor on Saturday, March 8, 1862, 
there came the first " iron clad " vessel to fight a naval battle 
in the history of the world. This iron clad was formerly the 
U. S. steam frigate " Merrimac," which was partly burned 
and sunk in this harbor in 1861, at the evacuation of the 
Navy Yard there by the Federals. She had been raised by 
the Confederates and transformed into an " iron clad," and 
named " Virginia." On the day above mentioned, this vessel, 
more frequently referred to in history as the " Merrimac," 
without serious injury to herself or crew destroyed several 
large vessels of the Federal fleet near Newport News, and on 
the following day but for the timely arrival of an " iron clad " 
vessel built for the Federal Government by Ericsson, and 
named the " Monitor," she would have swept the seas, as 
there was then no vessel afloat on the waters of this planet, 
except the " Monitor," which was her equal or could with- 
stand her attack. 

On Sunday March 9, 1862, the Merrimac returned from 
Elizabeth River, where she had harbored during the night, and 
when reaching Hampton Eoads to complete the destruction 
of the remaining vessels of the Federal fleet, she was met by 
the " Monitor," which had arrived there during the early 
hours of that morning. The four hours' battle upon this day 
between these two vessels is world renowned as the first ever 
fought between iron clad vessels. The Merrimac was the 
greater sufferer of the two in the engagement which followed 
with the Monitor. 



333 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

The Commander of the Merrimac, Commodore Franklin 
Buchanan and several others on board were severely wounded 
and some killed. Two of her guns were broken; her armor 
damaged; her anchor and all her flagstaffs were shot away, 
and the smoke stack and steam pipe riddled. This vessel 
during the two days she was in action, assisted by five other 
Confederate vessels — the Jamestown, Patrick Henry, Ealeigh, 
Beaufort and Teazer — caused a loss to the Federals, in killed 
and wounded, nearly 400 men, and the frigates Congress and 
Cumberland, the tug Dragon, and great damages to the Min- 
nesota. This was the last fight between these two iron clads; 
the Confederates subsequently destroyed the Merrimac when 
they evacuated Norfolk. 

McKean Buchanan, brother of the Commander of the Con- 
federate Merrimac, was an officer on board the U. S. frigate 
Congress at the time she was destroyed by the former vessel 
which his brother commanded. Thus did brother fight 
against brother during the Civil War. 

Owing to its shape, the Monitor escaped serious injury to 
her hull or to her crew in this desperate encounter, excepting 
her commander, Lieut. John L. Worden, who was severely 
wounded in the eyes. While viewing the Merrimac through 
the peep hole in the turret of his ship a shot from that vessel 
struck fairly in front of his view; it shivered some cement 
and cast it so violently in his face that it blinded him for 
several days. Others in the turret were knocked down by the 
concussion, but no one seriously injured. 

There was very great difference in the shape of these two 
first iron clad vessels. The Merrimac, or Virginia, appeared 
when afloat, like a huge roof. Her hull was 275 feet long; 
about 160 feet of the central portion was covered with a roof 
of wood and iron inclining about 36 degrees. This and .her 
sides were composed of oak timbers 28 inches thick, covered 
6 inches deep by railway iron bars and iron plates. A bul- 



MISCELLANEOUS 333 

wark or false bow was added, and beyond this was a strong 
oak and iron beak, thirty-three feet long, for ramming. She 
carried on each side four eighty pounder rifled cannon. Two 
of the rifles, bow and stern pivots were seven inch, of 14,500 
pounds; the other two were 6.4 inch, of 9,000 pounds each. 
She had furnaces for heating shot and apparatus for throw- 
ing hot water. She was intended to " make the Yankees 
hot." 

The Monitor was described by the Confederates as a 
'• Yankee cheese box set on a plank." The deck of the Moni- 
tor was only a few inches above water. The round revolving 
turret was twenty feet in diameter and ten feet in height 
above deck. The smoke stack was made so as to be lowered 
in action. The hull was double, sharp at both ends; the 
upper hull five feet in height rested on the lower and ex- 
tended over it three feet seven inches all around, excepting at 
the ends where it projected twenty-five feet, affording pro- 
tection to the anchor, propeller and rudder. It was only six 
feet six inches deep, with a flat bottom, and was one hundred 
twenty-four feet in length and thirty-four feet in width at the 
top. 

The whole was built of three inch iron. Its exposed parts 
were guarded by a wall of white oak, thirty inches thick in 
which was laid iron armor six inches thick. The deck con- 
tained nothing on it when in action but the turret — " cheese 
box " — the wheel house, and a box covering the smoke stack. 

The turret was a round revolving iron Martello tower, 
twenty feet in diameter, and ten feet high ; it was composed 
of eight thicknesses of one inch iron plate. The only en- 
trance into the vessel that boarders of it could find, was from 
the top of the turret, and then only one man at a time could 
descend. It contained two eleven inch Dahlgren cannon 
mounted. The turret was turned by a contrivance connected 
with the engine that propelled the vessel, which by the turn- 



334 LIFE IN OLD VIEGINIA 

ing of a small wheel brought the turret around exactly where 
wanted to bring the guns to bear upon the other vessel. 

Lieutenant John M. Brooke, of the Confederate Navy, in- 
vented or planned the armor of the " Virginia, or " Merri- 
mac," so called. It was considered a wonderful achievement 
in naval architecture, and would have destroyed the whole 
Federal fleet but for the more wonderfully constructed 
'• Monitor." 

Notwithstanding that Ericsson (a native of Sweden, but a 
citizen of New York), constructed the Monitor, and is justly 
entitled to the high credit due his genius, nevertheless, his 
work of building such a ship without a turret would have 
been labor lost. 

The revolving turret on the Monitor was first the invention 
of an American boy named Timby, in 1841, when he was 
only 19 years old. He got the idea while passing Castle Wil- 
liam in New York Harbor. It then occurred to him that a 
similar structure of iron, on a revolving base could bring all 
its guns to bear on any part of the channel. He filed a caveat 
for his invention in the Patent Office, on June 18, 1843. The 
same year he exhibited a model before President Tyler, — a 
Tidewater Virginian — , and his cabinet. Mr. Jefferson 
Davis, then Secretary of War, and later President of the 
Southern Confederacy, was one of the gentlemen who com- 
mended the invention, which later checked the career of the 
" Merrimac." Young Timby went to France with his model 
and exhibited it to Napoleon III, but nothing more came of 
the invention until Ericsson applied it in the Monitor. 

A brief sketch relative to the history of the two men, who 
planned and built these two iron clad vessels, the first of their 
class ever to engage in battle, may interest the reader. 

The inventor of the " Merrimac," later known as " Col." 
John M. Brooke, was also the inventor of deep sea sounding 
apparatus, which has enabled scientists to ascertain the nature 



MISCELLANEOUS 335 

of the ocean's bed. It was through his consrruction of the 
Virginia, or Merrimac, that the principle of submerged and 
extended ends was applied to warships which are used at this 
date by battleships. 

He was a son of Gen. Geo. M. Brooke, of Virginia, a dis- 
tinguished officer in the U. S. Army during the War of 1812. 
He was married twice. His first wife was Miss Lizzie Gar- 
nett, sister of Gen. Bichard Brooke Garnett, who was killed 
in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. His second wife was Miss 
Corbin, of Tidewater Virginia. He was born near Tampa, 
[Florida, Dec. 18, 1826, and died at his home in Lexington, 
Virginia, Dee. 14, 1906, while holding the position of emeri- 
tus professor of physics at Virginia Military Institute. 
' John Ericsson, who planned and built the " Monitor," waa 
a Swedish engineer and physicist, a man of wonderful in- 
ventive genius. His inventions are too numerous to repeat 
here, but amongst them may be mentioned the first idea of 
successful artificial draft for locomotives, a caloric engine, the 
the application of the propeller to purposes of navigation. 
In 1839, he came to New York, and in 1841 was employed 
in the construction of the ship of war Princeton, the first 
steamship ever built with the propelling machinery under 
water. He built the Monitor under contract with the Fede- 
ral Government, and completed it in one hundred days. He 
was born in the province of Wermeland, Sweden, in 1803, 
and died in Stockholm, Sept. 8, 1870. 



APPENDIX 

I. List of Governors of Virginia with Short 
Biographical Sketches. 



GOVERNOES OF THE COLONY 1607-1776. 

By the terms of the first charter of the London Company, 
dated April 10, 1606, there were two governing bodies, or 
councils. The Council resident in England, appointed by the 
King, had the chief direction of affairs for the Colony. It 
named the council to reside in and to control Virginia. Each 
of these two bodies were empowered to elect one of their own 
number as Chief Executive or President. 

Under the second charter, dated May 23, 1609, the Com- 
pany was granted the power to choose the Council in England, 
and select a Governor who was invested with absolute civil 
and military authority, with the title of " Governor and Cap- 
tain General of Virginia.'" This title was the most higlily 
prized honor pertaining to the Colony, and the greater num- 
ber of its recipients found it purely a sinecure which they had 
the liberty to enjoy at their leisure, without even the fatigue 
of a journey across the Atlantic's waters to view their hon- 
ored charge. 

With few exceptions the actual duties of a colonial governor 
of Virginia were conducted in person within the Colony by 
those whose title ranked below that of the " Governor in 
Chief and Captain General of Virginia." 

The charter provided that in the absence of the Governor 
and Captain General, authority was to be vested in an 
appointed Deputy, or Lieutenant Governor, or in the absence 
of such officers power to act was then vested in the President 
of the resident Council. The charter of 1612 made no 

[336] 



APPENDIX 337 

changes in the governorship. When the Company's charter 
was annulled, in 1624, the governors and the resident Council 
were appointed by the King, and this mode continued while 
the Colony was under British rule. Then the Council to re- 
side in Virginia was appointed upon the recommendation of 
the Governor, or Lieutenant Governor. 

Sir Thomas Smith, a prominent merchant of London, and 
one of the assignees of the patents granted Sir Walter 
Ealeigh, was the first President of the Council of the London, 
or Virginia, Company, and its treasurer resident in London, 
from 1606 to 1618. Sir Thomas Smith was eminently noted 
for his ability as a merchant and politician. 

The expedition which made the first permanent settlement 
of the English speaking people in America was under the 
charge of Capt. Christopher Newport until their seating at 
Jamestown, May 13, 1607. Newport had in his keeping when 
he sailed from London, a sealed box given him by the London 
Company, which contained instructions for the Colony, and 
the names of those persons whom the Company selected to be 
the members of the first Council to govern in Virginia. The 
box was opened upon the arrival of the three ships at Capo 
Henry, on April 26, 1607, and the names of the Council were 
read, together with the instructions for selecting a seating 
place. Newport retained control until the Colony reached 
Jamestown, then in accordance with their instructions the 
Council selected one of their number as President, for the 
term of one year. 

Edward Maria Wingfield, was chosen the first President of 
the Council resident in Virginia, on May 13, 1607. On Sep- 
tember 10, 1607, he was deposed from this office because of 
disagreements with the Council. He returned to England 
shortly thereafter. He had been a companion of Ferdinando 
Gorges in the European wars, and was subsequently a captain 
in the British army in Ireland. 

Captain John EatclifFe, President of the Council in Vir- 
22 



338 LIFE IlSr OLD VIRGINIA 

ginia, from September 10, 1607, to September 7, 1608. His 
original name was Sicklemore, which in early life he changed 
to Rateliffe. In connection with Captain John Smith he was 
instrumental in deposing Wingfield from the office of Presi- 
dent, and subsequently having quarreled with Capt. John 
Smith he favored hanging the doughty captain after the 
latter's romantic release from death by Pocahontas because 
Smith's crew were murdered by Opechancanough upon the 
occasion of Smith's capture. 

In December, 1608, Rateliffe was forced to return to Eng- 
land with Newport, in fear "lest the company (colonists) 
should cut his throat," is the reason assigned by Capt. Smith 
for Eatcliffe's departure. In July following Rateliffe re- 
turned to Virginia in the ship "Diamond." In 1610 while 
trading with the Indians on the York River he was murdered 
with twenty-five of his men. 

Captain John Smith, President of the Council in Virginia, 
from September 7, 1608, to October, 1609, when he returned 
to England to be treated for wounds received by accidental 
explosion of gun powder while upon his boat in the James 
River. Elsewhere in this volume is a biographical sketch of 
this remarkable man. 

Captain George Percy, appointed by Capt. John Smith, 
President of the Council in Virginia, from October, 1609, 
to May 24, 1610, and on March 28, 1611, was appointed 
Deputy Governor by Lord Delaware until the arrival of Sir 
Thomas Dale, May 19, 1611. He was the younger brother of 
the Earl of Northumberland, in whose honor one of the 
counties in the " Northern Neck " was named. He was the 
eighth son of Henry Percy, eighth earl of Northumberland; 
born September 4, 1580, and having returned to England on 
April 22, 1612, he died there in 1632. 

He served with distinction in the wars of the Low Coun- 
tries, and was the author of "A True Relation of the Proceed- 
ings and Occurrences of moment which have happened in 



APPENDIX 339 

Virginia from the time Sir Thomas Gates was shipwrecked 
upon the Bermudas, 1609, until my departure out of the 
Country, 1612." During his control as President occurred 
what is known as " The Starving Time," in the colony. 

Sir Thomas Gates, Lieutenant General and Deputy Gov- 
ernor, from May 24, 1610, until the arrival of Lord De La 
Warr, or Delaware, on June 10, 1610. 

Sir Thomas Gates was one of the patentees named in the 
first charter of the London Company, and was a captain in the 
British army and- served in the United Netherlands in 1608. 

In company with a fleet of eight other vessels he sailed for 
Virginia in May, 1609, but his vessel, the " Sea Venture," was 
carried to the Bermudas by a violent hurricane and there 
stranded. During the nine months in which he and his fel- 
low passengers were detained upon the Bermudas they con- 
structed two vessels from the remains of the " Sea Venture " 
and from cedars found upon the island. T\'lien they reached 
Virginia they found the Colony in a starving condition, and 
the colonists determined to abandon Virginia. They desired 
to set sail in Gates' ships for Newfoundland. Their depar- 
ture was prevented by the arrival of Lord Delaware with his 
ships loaded with supplies. Gates was sent to England by 
Lord Delaware for further supplies for tlie Colony, and in 
June, 1611, returned to Virginia with six ships, carrying his 
wife and two daughters, three hundred colonists and supplies. 
His wife died on the voyage, and his daughters returned to 
England. He was an earnest advocate of the colonization of 
Virginia. It is not known where he died. 

Sir Thomas West, third Lord De La Warr, or Delaware, 
was appointed under the new charter of May 23, 1609, " Gov- 
ernor and Captain General of Virginia " for life. He reached 
Jamestown June 10, 1610, just in time to prevent the few re- 
maining half famished colonists from deserting Virginia for- 
ever. He was the first Governor ever appointed for Virginia, 
and by his timely arrival induced the colonists to return to 



340 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Jamestown. During his short stay with the Colony he re- 
stored confidence, order and contentment. On March 28, 
1611, he sailed for the Island of Mevis to restore his failing 
health. He returned thence to England, where he exerted his 
influence for the betterment of the Colony and aided in secur- 
ing the third charter for the Company, which was granted 
March 12, 1612, by the King. He set sail from England to 
Virginia in March, 1618, and died on the voyage on June 7, 
in or near the Delaware Bay, which together with the State 
and river of that name commemorates his name on this con- 
tinent. 

Captain George Percy, who succeeded Captain John Smith 
upon the latter's return to England in 1609, was left in charge 
of the Colony, as President of the Council, from the date Lord 
Delaware left for the Island of Mevis — March 28, 1611, until 
the arrival of Sir Thomas Dale, on May 19, 1611. Elsewhere 
is a reference to this gentleman. 

Sir Thomas Dale, Acting Governor, under his appointment 
as " High Marshall," reached Jamestown May 19, 1611, and 
in August, 1611 was superseded by Sir Thomas Gates. 

He was a soldier of distinction in the Low Countries for 
which he was knighted by King James I. Under his direc- 
tion a settlement was made named Henrico, on the James 
River and the first allotment of land — three acres — were made 
to individual colonists. 

In March, 1613, Gates returned to England, and Dale re- 
sumed the duties of Acting Governor, until April, 1616, when 
he returned to England. It was while he was Governor that 
John Eolfe and Pocahontas were married. Although he had 
a wife living in England, it is said he sent a proposal through 
one of his friends to Powhatan, for the younger sister of 
Pocahontas to become his wife, which offer Powhatan artfully 
refused. 

In 1619, while in England, he was appointed commander 
of six ships of the East India Company. While fighting 



APPENDIX 341 

against the Dutch he contracted a disease whicn resulted in 
his death in 1620. 

Captain George Yeardley, as President of the Council in 
Virginia, upon the departure of Dale was made Deputy Gov- 
ernor from April, 1616 to May 15, 1617, when he was super- 
seded by Captain Samuel Argall, after which he returned to 
England, and after the death of Lord Delaware, he was 
knighted Sir George Yeardley by the King to succeed the for- 
mer as " Governor and Captain General of Virginia." He 
reached the colony April 19, 1619, and assumed control until 
superseded by Sir Francis Wyatt on November 8, 1621, and 
when Wyatt retired on May 17, 1626, Yeardley for the third 
time was appointed Governor. During his several administra- 
tions as Governor there were many important changes for the 
betterment of the Colony. He acquired much territory for the 
Colony from the natives by reprisal and purchase. During 
his second administration he called together the first legisla- 
tive assembly ever convened on this continent, at Jamestown, 
on July 30, 1619, and on the following August the first negro 
slaves ever in the British colonies were brought to Jamestown. 
He successfully urged the London Company to send wives to 
the colonists. He died ISTovember 10, 1627, deeply regretted 
by the colonists, who publicly extolled his virtues. 

Captain Samuel Argall, succeeded Sir Geo. Yeardley. A 
sketch of his career before his appointment will be of interest 
to the reader. 

Capt. Argall was born at Bristol, England. His first 
appearance in the Colony was in July, 1609, in command of a 
ship load of liquors and provisions for trade with the Colony 
at Jamestown, and to fish for sturgeon on his private ac- 
count — against the regulations of the Company. He made 
several trips across the ocean back and forth from Jamestown 
to England, carrying provisions for the Colony, and trading 
with the Indians in Virginia. Upon his first voyage up the 
Potomac, for purpose of trading for corn, he discovered that 



343 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

Pocaliontas was visiting at the seating place of an Indian 
chief named Jajjazaws, said to be her paternal uncle. Argall 
prevailed upon Japazaws and his wife to entice Pocahontas 
aboard of his vessel, for which the chief was to receive a cop- 
per kettle, and his wife some toys — a looking glass, beads, etc. 
The plot was successful and Pocahontas was carried to James- 
town, and was so well treated by all the Colony that she be- 
came resigned to her captivity, and subsequently married 
John Eolfe, mention of which is heretofore made. In 1614, 
under order from Sir Thomas Dale, High Marshal of Vir- 
ginia, Argall with a vessel of fourteen guns and crew drove 
the French settlers off Mount Desert, on the Coast of Maine. 
He carried his French prisoners to England, where he was put 
upon trial for disturbing peaceful relations between the 
French and English Colonies. He succeeded in vindicating 
his actions, and on May 15, 1617, he is found again in Vir- 
ginia, with the appointment of Deputy or Lieutenant Gover- 
nor of Virginia. Upon liis arrival at Jamestown he found 
" the market place, streets, and other spare places planted in 
tobacco," which had then become the staple crop of the Colony. 
He rendered himself so odious to the Colony that he was re- 
called, and secretly stole away from Virginia ten days before 
the arrival of Sir George Yeardley — April 19, 1619, — ^who 
had been knighted and appointed Governor and Captain 
General of Virginia, as heretofore stated. It is related that 
Argall had a moneyed interest in the first cargo of negro 
slaves to reach Virginia. The fact that he was a relative of 
Sir Thomas Smith, the President and Treasurer of the Vir- 
ginia Company in London may account for his successful de- 
fense of his many illegal acts. In 1623 he was knighted by 
King James I and made Admiral in command of several Eng- 
lish and Dutch ships. His attempted unsuccessful exploits 
against the Spaniards through the desertion of several of his 
English ships "broke his heart/' and in February, 1636, he 
die4. 



APPENDIX 343 

Captain Nathaniel Powell, President of the Council in 

Virginia, was, after the sudden departure of Argall, acting 
Governor of the Colony from April 9, 1619, until the 
arrival of Sir Geo. Yeardley, April 19, 1619, as heretofore 
related. Powell was one of the colonists who came to 
Virginia in 1607. He accompanied Newport on his voyage 
up the York .Eiver, and was with Capt. John Smith 
when the latter explored the Chesapeake Bay. It is stated 
that he compiled Smith's maps of this voyage. During the 
Indian massacre of 1622, he was murdered with his wife and 
daughter and several others upon his plantation on the James 
Eiver. 

Sir Francis Wyatt, Governor and Captain General of Vir- 
ginia, from November 8, 1621 — the expiration of Yeardley's 
term — to May 17, 1626, when he returned to Ireland to 
attend to his private affairs occasioned by the death of his 
father there. 

He was accompanied to Virginia by nine ships, containing 
supplies and immigrants. Amongst those of prominence who 
came with him were his brother, Rev. Hunt "Wyatt, William 
Claiborne, as surveyor, George Sandys, who subsequently 
translated the first book ever written in Virginia — the Meta- 
morphoses of Ovid. With Wyatt also came Doctor John Pott, 
who in a short while became famous as President of the 
Council in Virginia, and Acting Governor of the Colony, and 
later was made infamous through being the first person con- 
victed by a jury trial in the colony. 

Wyatt brought to the Colony the new constitution, granted 
July 24, 1621, by which all former immunities and fran- 
chises were confirmed. The opening clause of his instructions 
were : " To keep up the religion of the church of England aa 
near as may be; to be obedient to the King and do justice 
after the form of the laws of England, and not to injure the 
natives; and to forget old quarrels now buried." Trial by 
jury was first granted under bis administration and an au' 



344 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

nual assembly provided. The most important clause in the 
new constitution was the stipulation that no act of the assem- 
bly was to be valid unless it should be ratified by the Virginia 
Company in London; and no order of the London Company 
was to be obligatory in the Colony without the concurrence of 
the assembly. On March 22, 1622, less than five months 
after Wyatt assumed the duties of Governor, there occurred 
the great Indian massacre under the leadership of Opechanca- 
uough. Through the direction of tliis crafty chief, who pro- 
fessed great friendship for the Colony and thereby gained 
their confidence, the Indians succeeded in murdering 347 of 
the 1258 colonists then living in Virginia, and but for the 
friendly warning of a converted Indian, who gave notice on 
the night preceding the massacre the whole colony would have 
been put to death. The effect of the massacre was to induce 
tlie frightened people to abandon their plantations, and force 
them into, and near Jamestown, thereby causing much desti- 
tution and sickness. Capt. John Smith was then in London 
and upon learning of the massacre made the offer to the Lon- 
don Company to protect all the settlers from the James to the 
Potomac rivers with 100 soldiers and 30 sailors. To this 
offer the Company replied they had not the means to send 
him to Virginia. 

The first " guest house " — tavern for " the exclusive accom- 
modation of strangers " was built in 1621, at Jamestown by 
Jabez Williams. 

Sir Francis Wyatt held three commissions as Governor. 
During his first administration the Virginia Company of 
London had their charter annulled by the King — June 16, 
1624, and the King recommissioned him, and he was there- 
fore the first Royal Governor of Virginia, until May 17, 1626, 
when as heretofore stated, he returned to Ireland. 

In November 1639, he again received the appointment of 
Governor, and served until relieved by Sir William Berkeley, 



APPENDIX 345 

in February, 1642, when he returned to England where he 
died and was buried at Boxley, Kent, in 1644. 

Sir George Yeardley, for the third time was commissioned 
Governor and Captain General, on March 4, 1636, and re- 
sumed the office, May 17, 1636. As stated heretofore, he died 
the Kovember following. 

Captain Francis "West, as President of the Council in Vir- 
ginia, was acting Governor of Virginia from the death of Sir 
Geo. Yeardley — November, 1636~to March 5, 1629, when he 
left for England. He was the younger brother of Lord Dela- 
ware, born October 28, 1586. He accompanied Newport to 
Virginia in 1609, and was elected a member of the Council of 
the Colony in the following August. In November, 1622, 
he was appointed Admiral of New England, and while hold- 
ing this position divided his time between the two colonies. 
While on a visit to England in 1639 he strenously opposed 
the project of Lord Baltimore to found a colony in Virginia. 
He returned to Virginia in 1631, and was a member of the 
Council there in 1633. It is not known when or where he 
died, though there is a tradition in the family that he was 
drowned. 

Doctor John Pott, as President of the Council in Virginia, 
succeeded Francis West, Acting Governor, from March 5, 
1629, until the arrrival of Sir John Harvey, in March, 1630. 

Doctor Pott accompanied Sir Francis Wyatt to Virginia in 
1621, as his physician, and soon thereafter he was elected a 
member of the Council in Virginia. During the July follow- 
ing Sir John Harvey's arrival in the Colony, when he super- 
seded Doctor Pott, there occurred the first trial by a jury, and 
the first conviction under this new law ever in Virginia, 
during which Doctor John Pott, the former President of the 
Council, and who was also the former Acting Governor of 
Virginia, was tried and convicted before the fij'st jury of the 
Colony, at Jamestown, for cattle stealing. 

Sir John Harvey, was commissioned Governor and Captain 



346 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

General of Virginia on March 28, 1628, but did not reach 
Virginia until March, 1630, when he superseded Doctor John 
Pott, to April 28, 1635, when he left Virginia for England to 
answer charges against him made by the Assembly of Vir- 
ginia. Harvey was said to be the most unpopular of all the 
royal governors. He made many enemies in the Colony by 
siding with Maryland in the dispute between that Colony and 
Virginia for the possession of Kent Island. It was charged that 
his actions in this contest were venal and dishonestly selfish. 
Harvey remained in England until April 2, 1636, when he re- 
turned to Virginia v/ith a new Commission as Governor and 
Captain General from the King. 

Captain John West, as President of the Council in Vir- 
ginia was Acting Governor — from April 28, 1635 to April 2, 
1636, wdien Sir John Harvey came again to Virginia, having 
been reinstated as Governor by Charles I. Harvey adminis- 
tered as Governor until displaced by Sir Francis Wyatt, in 
November 1639. 

Sir William Berkeley, was first commissioned Governor 
and Captain General, August 9, 1641, and reached Vir- 
ginia in February, 1642. He continued to administer the 
duties of Governor until June, 1644, when he visited Eng- 
land and remained there until June, 1645. Richard Kempe 
acted as Governor during Berkeley's absence. Upon Berke- 
ley's return to Virginia in 1645, he resumed the duties 
of Governor and Captain General until April 30, 1652, 
when he was superseded by Richard Bennet, who continued 
to act as Governor under Cromwell until March 30, 1655, 
Bennet was succeeded by Edward Digges as Acting Governor, 
from March 30, 1655 to March 13, 1658, when Colonel 
Samuel Matthews was elected by the Assembly to succeed 
Digges. Matthews served until his death in January, 1660. 

There was no Governor of Virginia from, the death of Mat- 
thews until March 23, 1660, when the Assembly re-elected Sir 
William Berkeley, and the King sent him a commission as 



APPENDIX 347 

Governor, dated July 31, 1060. Berkeley administered the 
duties of Governor until April 30, 1661, when he went to 
England at the request of the Colony to protest against the 
enforcement of the Navigation Act. During his absence upon 
this occasion Colonel Francis Morryson, or Morrison acted as 
Deputy Governor. Berkeley returned to Virginia December 
23, 1662, and resumed the duties of Governor until April 27, 
1676. When he was recalled by the King upon the urgent 
request of the most influential men of the Colony. In the 
meantime Thomas, Lord Culpeper v\^as commissioned by the 
King, on July 8, 1675, Governor and Captain General of Vir- 
ginia, for life. Among the important events of Berkeley's 
administration was the second Indian massacre on April 18, 
1644, during which it is estimated there were between 400 
and 500 of the colonists murdered. " Bacon's Rebellion," the 
burning of Jamestown, and the hanging of 23 of Bacon's fol- 
lowers by order of Berkeley, are among the events which made 
his administration so unpopular that his sovereign, Charles 
II, when recalling him, said : " The old fool has taken more 
lives in his naked country than I have taken for my father's 
murder." 

His reply to the Commissioners sent from England to in- 
quire into the conditon of the Colony is an evidence of his 
intolerant character. " Thank God !" said he upon that occa- 
sion, "there are no free schools or printing presses, and I 
hope there will be none for a hundred years'; for learning has 
brought disobedience and heresy and sects into the world, and 
printing has divulged these and other libels." 

Hichard Kempe, who acted as Governor during Berkeley's 
absence in England from June, 1644, to June, 1645, was a 
member of the Council in 1642, and its President in 1644. 
The first fast day, and Thanksgiving day ever In the Colony 
was ordered during Kempe's administration, at Jamestov/n 
on February 17, 1645. It was enacted by the Assembly " For 
God's glory and the publick benefit of the Collony to the end 



348 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

that God might avert his heavie judgements that are now 
upon us. That the last Wednesday in every month be sett 
apart for a day of ffast and humiliation. And that it be wholly 
dedicated to prayers and preaching." * * " That the eigh- 
teenth day of April be yearly celebrated by thanksgiving for 
our deliverance from the hands of the salvages." 

Eichard Bennett, who acted as Governor from April 30, 
1652, to March 30, 1655, v/as a Burgess from Warrasquoyoke 
in 1629, and a member of the Council in 1642. Because of 
his Puritan religious beliefs he left Virginia for Maryland to 
escape persecution. From thence he went to England, and in 
1651 returned to Virginia as one of the Parliament's Commis- 
sioners to effect the reduction of the Colony under Cromwell. 
He was elected Governor by the Assembly, and subsequently 
sent to England as Agent to represent Virginia's interests be- 
fore Parliament. In 1666 he was made Major General and 
given command of the greater number of the militia of the 
Colony. In the following year he served as Commissioner to 
Maryland in the endeavor to regulate the cultivation and sale 
of tobacco. The names of Eandolph, Lee, Beverley, Bland, 
and Harrison are among those of his descendants through 
intermarriages. He was the owner of Wayanoak and Kicquo- 
tan plantations on the James. 

Edward Bigges, was elected President of the Council in 
Virginia by the Assembly March 30, 1655, as Governor, under 
Cromwell, succeeding Bennet until March 13, 1658, when he 
went to England as one of the agents of the Colony. He was 
the younger son of Sir Dudley Digges, of Chilham, County 
Kent, England, where he was born in 1620. He died at his 
family seat " Bellefield," eight miles from Williamsburg, Va., 
March 15, 1675. He left a family of seven daughters and six 
sons. Several of his descendants became prominent members 
of the Colony. 

Colonel Samuel Matthews, President of the Council under 
Cromwell, was elected Governor by the Assembly on March 



APPENDIX 349 

13, 1658. He served until his death in January, 1660. He 
was first a member of the Council in 1629, where he served 
for many successive terms. He was County Lieutenant of War- 
wick County. In 1630 he built the first fort at Point Com- 
fort, now known as " Old Point Comfort." He was humor- 
ously nicknamed the " ancient planter." He was much 
esteemed by the Colony for his honesty and capability as a 
public servant. 

Colonel Samuel Matthews was the last of the Gov- 
ernors under the reign of Cromwell. He was elected by the 
Assembly on March 13, 1658, succeeding Digges, who to- 
gether with Bennet, were the trio of Governors of Virginia 
during Cromwell's reign. 

Major Francis Morryson, or Morrison, was the Deputy, or 
Lieutenant Governor from the departure of Berkeley to Eng- 
land, April 30, 1661, to the return of the latter to Virginia, 
December 23, 1662. 

Morrison first reached the Colony from London in Novem- 
ber, 1649, and soon thereafter Governor Berkeley gave him 
the command of the fort at Point Comfort. Subsequently he 
became a member of the Council. In 1656 he was made 
Speaker of the House of Burgesses. In 1663 he went to Eng- 
land as the Agent of the Colony. He died in London shortly 
thereafter. 

Colonel Herbert Jeffreys was appointed Acting Governor 
from April 27, 1676, and Captain Eobert Walter appointed 
his Deputy the day following. On November 11, 1676, in 
consequence of the death of Captain Walter, Jeffreys was re- 
commissioned as Lieutenant Governor, and continued until 
his death on December 30, 1678. During his administra- 
tion he succeeded in effecting a treaty of peace with the In- 
dians in which they acknowledged the power of the Colony by 
each Indian town agreeing to pay annually to the Governor 
three arrows for their land, and twenty beaver skins for their 
protection by the Colony. 



350 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Sir Henry Chicheley was appointed Deputy Governor of 
Virginia December 30, 1678, to the arrival of Lord Culpeper 
on May 10, 1680. In the following August Lord Culpeper 
returned to England where he remained until November, 
1682. During this absence of Lord Culpeper Sir Henry 
Chicheley acted as Governor. In 1667 he married the widow 
of Captain Ralph Wormeley of " Eosegill," Middlesex County, 
subsequently clerk of Lancaster County. In 1656 he was a 
member of the House of Burgesses from Lancaster County, 
and in 1674 a member of the Council in Virginia. He died 
in 1693, and was buried at Christ Church. 

Thomas Lord Culpeper, Baron of Thorsway, on July 8, 
1675, was appointed Governor and Captain General for life, 
but did not reach Virginia until May 10, 1680. He adminis- 
tered the office in Virginia until August, 1680, when he went to 
England, leaving the management of the office in the charge 
of Sir Henry Chicheley. In this year, 1680, there was an 
act of Assembly creating towns in each of the several coun- 
ties, where tobacco for sliipment was to be carried. This act 
created so much dissatisfaction that on November, 1682, Lord 
Culpeper was sent to the Colony to quell the opposition to this 
act. He hung several of the ring leaders, and imprisoned 
others; amongst the latter was Major Robert Beverley, clerk 
of the House of Burgesses. Culpeper returned to England 
on September 17, 1683, and died there in 1719. He was sole 
proprietor of the lands known as the " Northern Neck," 
heretofore described in this volume. 

Colonel Nicholas Spencer, as President of the Council in 
Virginia, became the Acting Governor from the departure of 
Culpeper, until April 16, 1684. Spencer was a member of 
the Council and its Secretary for many successive terms. 

Francis Howard, Baron Effingham, was commissioned 
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, September 28, 1683; 
came to Virginia and exercised the duties of his office from 
April 16, 1684, to October 20, 1688. On June 23, 1685, 



APPENDIX 351 

he went to Albany to meet the Governor of New York, and 
to treat with the Indians of the Five Nations, who had been 
making incursions into Virginia. At this conference the In- 
dians conchided the treaty of peace by presenting to the Gov- 
ernors of New York and A'irginia beaver and raccoon skins, 
and by digging a hole in the earth in which each chief of a 
tribe buried a hatchet. lie returned in about a month. In 
his absence Nathaniel Bacon, Sr., as President of the Council, 
administered the duties of Governor. Effingham's adminis- 
tration of the office of Governor caused very great dissatisfac- 
tion in the Colony. He endeavored to obstruct the use of the 
printing press in the Colony. He dissolved the Assembly, 
and created a new court of chancery, giving himself much 
power. He greatly increased the number of fees of the 
Courts, and it is stated that he shared them with the officials. 
He imprisoned many who complained of his acts. In 1688 
upon petitions to the King he was recalled. 

Nathaniel Bacon, Senior, as President of the Council, 
acted first as Governor during the absence of Effingham in 
Albany, in 1684. Upon the final departure of Effingham to 
England, October 20, 1688, he was then President of the 
Council, and as such became the Acting Governor, until Octo- 
ber 16, 1690. He was born in 1620, and died March 16, 
1693. He was a cousin of Nathaniel Bacon, Junior, who was 
the leader of " Bacon's Eebellion." during the administration 
of Sir William Berkeley. Nathaniel Bacon, Senior, held 
many offices of honor and trust in the Colony. He was at one 
time Commander-in-chief of York County, and a member of 
the Council more than forty years. 

Sir Francis Nicholson, reached Virginia October 16, 1690, 
and served as Lieutenant Governor until October 15, 1693, 
when he was appointed Governor of Maryland, which office he 
held until December 9, 1698, when he again was commis- 
sioned Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and served until 
August 15, 1705, when he was recalled by the King. Nich- 



352 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

olson's -first visit to America was as Lieutenant Governor of 
the Colony of New York under Sir Edmund Andros in 1686, 
when all the colonies north of the Chesapeake Bay were 
formed into one province. His administration of this latter 
named office was so unsatisfactory that he was forced to 
leave for England in a hurry. 

While Governor of Virginia he proposed the establishment 
of a postoffice, and recommended the building of a college, in 
honor of William and Mary, he contributing with the Council 
about 2500 pounds in money for this object. The result was 
the charter of William and Mary College in 1693. The seat 
of government of the Colony was removed by him from James- 
town to Williamsburg, in 1698. 

Upon Nicholson's return to England he was commissioned 
to fight the French in Canada, and subsequently filled the 
office of Governor of Nova Scotia, from 1712 to 1717, and 
Governor of South Carolina, from 1721 to 1725. He died 
in London March 5, 1728. 

Sir Edmund Andros, was commissioned Governor of Vir- 
ginia March 1, 1693, and reached the Colony October 16, fol- 
lowing. He served until December 9, 1698, when he was 
succeeded by Sir Francis Nicholson, as heretofore stated. He 
was born in London, December 6, 1637. He was distin- 
guished as a soldier in the Dutch wars, and held several im- 
portant appointments in the British American Colonies, 
amongst which were that of Governor of the province of New 
York from 1674 until 1681. He was appointed Governor of 
the several colonies consolidated to form New England, which 
included all settlements between Maryland and Canada except 
Penns3dvania. He made this administration very unpopular, 
by interfering with the liberty of the press, levied extraordi- 
nary taxes, and forced proprietors of lands to obtain from 
him new titles at great expense. He revoked the charters of 
the colonies, and it is stated he went to the Council Chamber 
at Hartford with an armed force, demanding the charter of 



APPENDi:S 353 

Connecticut, •which could not be found as it was then con- 
cealed in the famous " Charter Oak." 

The Virginians welcomed him as their Governor at first for 
the reason he had advocated their request for war supplies. 
During his administration the William and Mary College was 
established, and an act was passed organizing a postoffice de- 
partment for Virginia, with a central and sub-office in each 
county. Thomas Neale was appointed the first postmaster, 
and the rates of postage fixed. 

An act was passed during his administration establishing 
the first fulling mills in Virginia. Principally because of 
contentions with James Blair, the first President of William 
and Mary College, Governor Andros was recalled December 
9, 1698, and was succeeded by Col. Prancis Nicholson, as 
stated. From 1704 to 1706 Andros was Governor of Guern- 
sey. He died in London, February 27, 1713. 

George Hamilton (Doug-las), Earl of Orkney, was 
appointed Governor-in-chief of Virginia in 1697, which office 
he held until his death, January 29, 1737. He drew an 
annual salary as Governor-in-chief of Virginia for forty years, 
and during that period he never visited America. In early 
youth he entered the military service, and in 1695 was created 
Earl of Orkney for his gallantry. He participated in many 
of the battles in Ireland. He was made a major-general and 
Knight of the Thistle, by Queen Anne, and was a member of 
the House of Lords for many years. 

Edward Nott, was the successor of Col. Francis Nicholson, 
as Lieutenant Governor, from August 15, 1705, to his death, 
August 23, 1706. Among the notable events of his admin- 
istration was the passage of an act by the Assembly appro- 
priating 3000 pounds for the building of a palace in Wil- 
liamsburg for the Governor, and the destruction by fire of the 
William and Mary College. He was buried at Old Bruton 
Church, Williamsburg, where the General Assembly erected 
a monument to his memory. 
23 



354 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Edmund Jenings, as President of the Council, succeeded 
Nott as Acting Governor, from August 23, 1706, to June 10, 
1710. He was the son of Sir Edmund Jenings, a member of 
Parliament. In 1696 he was the Deputy Secretary of Vir- 
ginia, and for many years was a member of the Council. Ha 
married Frances, the daughter of Henry Corbin, a name 
famous in Virginia. His daughter Ariana married John 
Randolph, Attorney General of Virginia, and his grandson 
Edmund Eandolph became Governor of Virginia and Attor- 
ney General of the United States under Washington. 

Robert Hunter, was commissioned Lieutenant Governor of 
Virginia, April 4, 1707, and while on his voyage to the Colony 
was taken prisoner by the French and carried to Paris, 
France. Upon his release he returned to England, and was 
commissioned as Governor of New York, reaching that 
Colony in 1710, with about 2700 expatriated Protestants from 
the palatinate of the Rhine whom he settled on the banks of 
the Hudson, and as an inducement for a subscription of 
15,000 pounds a year for the first two years, he promised that 
the Colony would send to England tar enough to supply the 
navy forever. He returned to England in 1719, without 
ever visiting Virginia. 

In 1727 he was commissioned Governor of Jamaica, where 
he died in 1734. 

Col. Alexander Spottswood, served as the Deputy Governor 
of the Earl of Orkney, from June 23, 1710, when he first 
reached Virginia, until September 27, 1722. His ancestry 
was of the ancient Scottish family of Spotteswoode, a name 
which had its origin when surnames first became hereditary in 
Scotland. His progenitors were distinguished men in the 
history of Scotland. He was born in 1676, at Tangier Island, 
Africa; where his father was then physician to the Governor 
and the English garrison stationed there. When but seven- 
teen years of age, he was an ensign in the Earl of Bath's 
regiment of foot, and rapidly rose to promotion as Lieutenant 



APPENDIX 355 

Colonel. He was aangerously wounded by the French at 
Blenheim, while serving under the Duke of Marlborough. 

Spotswood was energetic and accomplished much for the 
benefit of the Colony. Wlien he reached Virginia he found 
her sea coasts defenseless, and a prey to the pirates who levied 
tribute, and committed dastardly crimes within the Colony 
with impunity. He ended this condition of affairs by the 
capture and execution of the famous pirate Edward Teach. 
He pleased the Colony by granting the benefit of the habeas 
corpus act, which had formerly been denied them. He made 
peace with the Indians and thereby prevented a serious up- 
rising of the powerful Five Nations. 

Spotswood was the first of the Governors to encourage the 
extension of settlements into and beyond the mountain sec- 
tions of Virginia. With this purpose in view, in 1716, the 
Governor headed an expedition composed of some of the most 
prominent gentlemen of the Colony. They spent two months 
in travel upon horseback, from Williamsburg and return, 
westward across the Blue Eidge Mountains, and into the 
beautiful Valley of Virginia. Upon their return the Gover- 
nor established the " Transmontane Order," or " Knights of 
the Golden Horseshoe," he giving to each of those who accom- 
panied him a miniature golden horseshoe bearing the in- 
scription, " Sic Jurat transcendere Montes " (thus he swears 
to cross the mountains). These were given to whoever 
would accept them, with the understanding that they would 
comply with the inscription. Notwithstanding this induce- 
ment it was not until 1733 that a permanent settlement was 
made west of the mountains. In that year sixteen families 
from Pennsylvania under the guidance of a man named Joist 
Hite, made settlement near the present location of Winches- 
ter. The second seating west of the mountains was in 1734 by 
Ben Allen and three others on the north branch of the Shen- 
andoah about ten or twelve miles south of the present site of 
Woodstock. The history of the early settlements of the west- 



356 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

ern parts of "Virginia is a continuous story of murderous en- 
counters, captures, and reprisals between the bold, savage 
Indian and the daring, adventurous white settlers. 

Upon Spotswood's retirement from the governorship, he en- 
gaged in the manufacture of iron. In 1730 he was made 
deputy postmaster general for the American Colonies, which 
position he held until 1739. Among the names of his de- 
scendants are Aylett, Braxton, Brooke, Berkeley, Burwell, 
Bassett, Chiswell, Carter, Campbell, Colloway, CuUen, Clai- 
borne, Dandridge, Dangerfield, Dabney, Fairfax, Fontaine, 
Gaines, Gilliam, Kemp, Kinlock, Lloyd, Lee, Leigh, Macon, 
Mason, Manson, Marshall, Meriwether, McDonald, McCarthy, 
Nelson, Parker, Page, Eandolph, Eobinson, Smallwood, 
Skyring, Taliaferro, Temple, Theweatt, Taylor, Walker, 
Waller, Wickham, Watkins. 

In 17-10 he was commissioned as Major General, and while 
engaged in collecting his forces for the expedition against 
Carthagena he died at Annapolis, Maryland, June, 7, 1740. 
His body was conveyed to Temple Farm, at Yorktown, his 
former country residence. 

Hugh Drysdale, Lieutenant Governor from September 22, 
1722, until his death, July 22, 1726. There was no very im- 
portant event occurring to mark his administration. 

Eobert Carter, as President of the Council was Acting 
Deputy Governor from July 22, 1726, until October 13, 1727. 
Eobert Carter was for many years agent for Lord Fairfax, the 
proprietor of the Northern Neck. Carter was the possessor 
of large landed estates and thus acquired the sobriquet of 
" King Carter.'^ He was speaker of the House of Burgesses 
for several years, treasurer of the colony, and a member of the 
Council for many years. Pie built Christ Church in Lan- 
caster County, where his body was deposited upon his death, 
August 4, 1732. 

William Gooch was Lieutenant Governor from October 13, 
1727, to June 7, 1740, when he went in command of the ex- 



APPENDIX SSY 

pedition against Carthagena, which Spotswood was in charge 
of at his death. He returned to Virginia in July, 1741, and 
again resumed the duties of Lieutenant Governor. 

During his absence in command of the expedition, the 
duties of the office of Lieutenant Governor were performed by 
James Blair, D. D., the first President of William and Mary 
College. Through his zeal in obtaining contributions of 
money and donations of land he was of great assistance in the 
building of this college. 

Gooch having returned to Virginia in 1741 remained as 
Lieutenant Governor until June 29, 1749, leaving John 
Robinson, who was President of the Council, as Acting Gov- 
ernor. 

William Anne Keppel, second Earl of Albemarle, suc- 
ceeded George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney, as Governor-in- 
chief of Virginia, September 6, 1737, and held this title until 
his death in Paris, France, December 22, 1754. 

He was born at AVhitehall, in 1703, and recefved his second 
Christian name from Queen Anne who was sponsor at his 
baptism. He was a favorite always with the Crown, receiving 
many appointments therefrom amongst which were that of 
Captain in 1717 and Lieutenant General in 1743. During 
June of this latter year he distinguished himself at the battle 
of Dettingen, ISTetherlands. In 1745 he was wounded at the 
battle of Fontenoy. 

In 1748 was embassador to France; in 1750 created a 
Knight of the Garter; was made a member of the Privy 
Council, and in 1752 was one of the Lords Justices. He was 
never in Virginia. 

James Blair, as President of the Council was Acting Gover- 
nor from June, 1740, to July, 1741. He was the representative 
of the Bishop of London in Virginia and as such was called 
Commissary Blair. He also was the founder of William and 
Mary College in 1693. 

John Robinson, as President of the Council, succeeded Sir 



358 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

William Gooch, as Acting Governor from June 20, 1749, to 
September 5, 1749, when he died. His ancestors settled near 
Urbanna, Middlesex County, Virginia, where he was born in 
1683. His first wife was Catherine, daughter of Eobert 
Beverley, and his second was Mrs. Mary Welsh, of Essex 
County, Va. His descendants are connected through inter- 
marriage with many of the famous families of Virginia. 

Tliomas Lee, as President of the Council upon the death of 
Eobinson was acting Governor from September 5, 1749, until 
February 13, 1751, when he died. 

He was a descendant of Eichard Lee, who settled in West- 
moreland County, Virginia. He was a member of the House 
of Burgesses for many years. He was the father of six sons 
who greatly distinguished themselves in the war for freedom. 
They were Philip Ludwell and Thomas Ludwell Lee, Eichard 
Henry, Francis Lightfoot and William and Arthur Lee. 
General Eobert E. Lee was a descendant in the third genera- 
tion of Henry Lee, the brother of Governor Thomas Lee, being 
a son of " Light Horse Harry " Lee. 

Lewis Burwell, as President of the Council, was Acting 
Governor from February 12, 1751, until November 20, 1751. 
Died in 1752. He was born at the family seat, known as 
" The Grove," in Gloucester County, Va., in 1710. He was 
a Burgess from Gloucester County in 1736, and subsequently 
a member of the Council. His ancestor, Major Lewis Bur- 
well, settled on Carter's Creek in Gloucester County, Vir- 
ginia, in 1640. In 1646 this ancestor was a member of the 
delegation sent to invite Charles II. to Virginia as its king. 

Kobert Dinwiddie, was appointed Lieutenant Governor of 
Virginia on July 20, 1751, but did not reach the Colony until 
November 20, following. He brought with him his wife, 
Eebecca (nee Affleck) and their two daughters. He served 
until January, 1758, when he was relieved at his own request, 
and returned to England. He was born at the family seat, 
Germiston, Scotland, in 1693, and died at Clefton, Bristol, 



APPENDIX 359 

July 27, 1770. His training in official life began in 1727, as 
Collector of Customs in the Island of Bermuda, which place 
he held for eleven years. For his efficiency and vigilance in 
the discharge of his duties in the latter named office, he was 
rewarded by the appointment of Surveyor General of the Cus- 
toms of the Southern Ports of the Continent of America, and 
was also made a member of the respective Councils of the 
American Colonies. 

In 1743, he was commissioned as "Inspector General," to 
examine into the duties of the Collector of Customs, of Bar- 
badoes. West Indies. He got into bad repute with the Colony 
by enforcing certain fees for land patents. In 1754 the 
House of Burgesses sent Peyton Eandolph — who subsequently 
was first President of the Continental Congress — to England, 
as its agent, bearing a petition to the King for relief from 
these fees. It was under Dinwiddie's orders that Major 
George Washington was sent in 1753 to the French Com- 
mandant — Le Gardeur de St. Pierre — on the Ohio Eiver to 
demand by whose authority an armed force had crossed the 
Lakes, and to urge their speedy return. This controversy 
ended with Braddock's appointment as Commander-in-chief 
in Virginia, and his defeat subsequently, near Fort Duquesne, 
on July 9, 1755. He died of his wounds on July 13, and was 
buried at a place called Great Meadows, on the roadside of his 
retreating army. 

John Campbell, Fourth Earl of Loudoun, was appointed 
Captain General and Governor-in-chief of Virginia, on Feb- 
ruary 17, 1756, and on the following March was also com- 
missioned as Comm.ander-in-chief of the British forces in 
America. He was another one of the Crown favorites who 
enjoyed the emoluments of Governor-in-chief of Virginia 
v/ithout ever having to place their feet upon its soil. On the 
July following the receipt of his several commissions he 
reached New York, and from thence he went to Albany to 
assume command of the British forces arrainst the French at 



360 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

Forts Oswego and Ontario, but because of his inefficiency as 
commander he was recalled to England. It is said of him 
that he " was like King George upon the sign posts, always on 
horseback but never advancing." In 1763 he was succeeded 
by Sir Jeffrey Amherst as Governor-in-chief. He died at 
Loudoun Castle, Ayrshire, on April 27, 1782. 

John Blair, as President of the Council, was Acting Gov- 
ernor of Virginia from January, 1758, until the arrival of 
Lieutenant Governor, Francis Fauquier, on June 7th, fol- 
lowing. 

Blair was the son of Dr. Archibald Blair, and a nephew of 
Eev. James Blair, the first President of William and Mary 
College. He was born at Williamsburg, Va., in 1689. In 
1736 was a Burgess from James City County. He was 
Deputy Auditor of the Colony from 1761 to 1768. He again 
served as Acting Governor from the death of Fauquier, March 
3, 1768, until relieved by the arrival of Lord Botetourt, in 
October following. It was said of him that he laid a founda- 
tion brick at the building of each of the two first capital build- 
ings in Williamsburg, a period of fifty years intervening. He 
died November 5, 1771, and was buried at Williamsburg, 
Virginia. 

Francis Fauquier, was appointed Lieutenant Governor of 
Virginia, February 10, 1758, and reached the Colony June 
7th, following, and died in office March 3, 1768. Writers 
disagree as to his character and usefulness as the Chief Execu- 
tive of Virginia. By some he is classed as a dissipated gam- 
bler of frivolous tastes, and by Thomas Jefferson, he is noted 
as "the ablest of the Governors of Virginia." During his 
administration the House of Commons passed the notorious 
" Stamp Act," which was contested by the Assembly in 
strong-worded resolutions, one of which is as follows : " Re- 
solved, therefore, That the General Assembly of this Colony 
have the only and sole exclusive right and power to lay taxes 
and impositions upon the inliabitants of this Colony, and that 



APPENDIX 361 

every attempt to vest power in any person or persons whatso- 
ever, other than the General Assembly aforesaid, has a mani- 
fest tendency to destroy British as well as American freedom." 
These resolutions were debated by Patrick Henry and passed 
in May, 1765, during which he eloquently advocated their 
passage, and in the debate which followed, used the mem- 
orable sentence : " If this be treason, make the most of it." 
Fauquier becoming alarmed by these resolutions dissolved the 
Assembly, instead of proroguing it to a future day. Fauquier 
died at Williamsburg, Ya., on April, 1768. 

Sir Jeffrey Amherst, was appointed Captain General and 
Governor-in-chief of Virginia, succeeding the Earl of Loudoun, 
in 1763. He was never in Virginia, and when the ministry 
insisted, at the instigation of the King, that Amherst should 
reside in the Colony, he resigned his commission, and was 
succeeded by Lord Botetourt, on October 28, 1768. Sir Jef- 
frey Amherst was born in Kent, England, January 29, 1717. 
In 1756 he was made Major General commanding an expedi- 
tion against Louisburg. In 1758 he was appointed Commander- 
in-chief of the British Army in America. For his successes 
he was rewarded by thanks of Parliament, and created a 
Knight of the Bath. In 1771, was appointed Governor of 
Guernsey, and from 1778 to 1795 was commander of the 
British Army. He died in Kent, England, August 3, 1797. 

K'orbome Berkeley, Earon de Eotetourt, was commissioned 
Governor-in-chief of Virginia, in July, 1768. He reached Vir- 
ginia in the following October, and served until his death, 
October 15, 1770. He was born in North Gloucestershire, 
England, in 1718, and in 1761 was Colonel of the militia of 
his native place, and represented that shire in Parliament. 
In 1767 he was appointed Constable of the Tower of London. 

His coming to Virginia was pleasing to the people who 
were assured by the King that as a mark of honor to them 
tbe residence of the Governor-in-chief should forever in the 
future be within the Colony. 



362 LIFE IN OLD VIKGINIA 

He was noted for his polished and affable manners, and 
although he was not possessed of large means, he nevertheless 
was extremely luxurious in his habits, as instanced by his 
attendance upon the convening of the Assembly, when he was 
drawn by six horses to his coach, followed by a retinue of 
guards from the Governor's palace to the capitol. 

William I^elson, President of the Council, succeeded 
Berkeley as Acting Governor from October 15, 1770, until the 
arrival of Lord Dunmore, in February, 1772. Nelson died at 
Yorktown, York County, Virginia, the ancestral home of this 
distinguished family whose progenitor was " Scotch Tom " 
Nelson, who was born in Penrith, Cumberland County, Eng- 
land, and who subsequently came to the Colony and settled 
at Yorktown as a merchant. 

"William Nelson's sons distinguished themselves in the ser- 
vice of the Revolutionary Army, and one of them, General 
Thomas Nelson, Jr., while in command of the battery which 
first opened upon Yorktown against Cornwallis, upon learn- 
ing that his home, the "Nelson House," in that town was 
being occupied by British officers, offered five guineas reward 
to the gunner for every shot he should put into the house. 
This mansion is yet standing, and by the holes visible in its 
walls indicates the belief that guineas passed hands upon that 
occasion. 

John Murray, Fourth Earl of Dunmore, was the last of the 
royal Governors of A^irginia. He was appointed Governor of 
New York in January, 1770, and Governor-in-chief of Vir- 
ginia in July, 1771. He reached Virginia in February, 1773, 
and served until June 6, 1775, when he fled with his family, 
and took refuge on board the " Torrey " man-of-war. He then 
collected a band of tories, runaway negroes and a few British 
soldiers, and with a small naval force plundered the people 
along the James and York Rivers. On January 1, 1776, he 
set on fire and destroyed Norfolk. He finally established 
himself on Gwynn's Island, Matthews County, which he was 



APPENDIX 363 

Boon obliged to leave. He returned to England, and in 1786, 
was appointed Governor of Bermuda. He died at Eamsgate, 
England, in May, 1809. 

GOVEENORS OE THE COMMONWEALTH 1776-1907. 

The list of Virginia's governors since 1776 includes some of 
the most prominent men in American history, embracing 
Presidents, Cabinet Officers, Senators, and Members of the 
National House of Eepresentatives, and members of the State 
Legislature, together with famous orators, military com- 
manders and jurists. 

Patrick Eenry, born May 29, 1736, in Hanover Co., Vir- 
ginia, the first Governor of the State, was chosen Governor by 
the Assembly from June 29, 1776, to June 1, 1779. 

His education was mainly in the " Old Field Schools." He 
was a failure as a merchant and a farmer, and at the age of 
29 years took up the study of law, in which occupation he 
developed extraordinary talent as an advocate of law, and won 
great fame as an orator. He died at Eed Hill, Charlotte 
County, Virginia, June 6, 1799. 

Thomas Jefferson, born April 2, 1742, in Albemarle 
County, Virginia, Governor from June 1, 1779, to June 12, 
1781. 

He had served in the General Assembly, and was a member 
of the Continental Congress, and was for two terms President 
of the United States— 1801 to 1809. His greatest honor was 
that of author of the Declaration of Independence. Died at 
his home Monticello, July 4, 1826. 

Thomas Nelson, Jr., born at what is now known as York- 
town, York County, Virginia, Dec. 26, 1738. Governor from 
June 12, 1781 to Nov. 30, 1781, when he resigned on account 
of ill health. He was the son of Wm. Nelson, President of 
the Council and Acting Governor, 1770 to 1771. He was a 



364 LIFE IN OLD VIRGIlSriA 

renowned patriot during the Revolution, and contributed his 
ample means to the cause of freedom. Died in Hanover 
County, Virginia, Jan. 4, 1789. 

Benjamin Harrison, born in Charles City County, Virginia, 
in 1740. Governor from Nov. 30, 1781, to Nov. 30, 1784. 
He subsequently served in the State Legislature. His third 
son, William Henry Harrison, was the ninth President of the 
United States, and his great grandson, Benjamin Harrison 
was the occupant of that exalated office from 1889 to 1893. 
Died April, 1791, in Charles City County, Virginia. 

Patrick Henry, served a second time as Governor, from 
Dec. 1, 1784, to Dec. 1, 1786, when he resigned. 

Edmund Eandolph, born in "Williamsburg, Virginia, Aug. 
10, 1753. Governor from Dec. 1, 1786 to Dec. 1, 1788. Was 
appointed by Washington the first Attorney General of the 
United States. In 1794, he succeeded Thomas Jefferson as 
Secretary of State in Washington's Cabinet. Died in Fred- 
erick County, Virginia, Sept. 12, 1813. 

Beverley Eandolph, born in Henrico County, Virginia, in 
1754. Governor from Dec. 1, 1788, to Dec. 1, 1791. It was 
during his term that a part of Virginia was ceded to the 
United States for the national seat of the Government. This 
was subsequently receded to the State, and is now in the 
County of Alexandria. Died at Green Creek, Feb., 1797. 

Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry), born Jan. 29, 1756, in 
Westmoreland County, Virginia. Governor from Dec. 1, 
1791, to Dec. 1, 1794. 

His military career, in command of " Lee's Legion," during 
the Eevolutionary War, gained liim much distinction. He 
was familiarly known as " Light Horse Harry " Lee. Was 
severely wounded by a riotious mob in Baltimore, ]\Iaryland, 
in 1813, while in the attempt to aid his friend, the editor of 
the Federal Eepublican newspaper of that city. In 1813, he 
went to the West Indies to recover from his wounds, and on 



APPENDIX 365 

March 25, 1818, he died on Cumberland Island, Georgia, en 
route to his home. 

Eobert Brooke, born in 1751, was Governor from Dec. 1, 
1794 to Dec. 1, 1796. He was Attorney General of Virginia 
for many years. Died in 1799. 

James Wood, born in Frederick County, Virginia, in 1750. 
Governor from Dec. 1, 1796, to Dec. 1, 1799. During the 
Eevolutionary War he gained a high reputation as an ofQcer. 
In recognition of his services Wood County, now in West Vir- 
ginia, was named in his honor. Died in Eichmond City, Vir- 
ginia, June 16, 1813. 

James Monroe, born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, 
April 28, 1758. In 1825 removed to Loudoun County, Vir- 
ginia, where he was chosen Justice of the Peace. Was the 
author of the famous " Monroe Doctrine." Was twice elected 
Governor; the first term from Dec. 1, 1799 to Dec. 1, 1802. 
During this term occurred what is known as " Gabriel's In- 
surrection," an uprising of slaves for their freedom, which he 
promptly quelled. Was one of the Commissioners (with 
Livingstone) to France to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase. 
Was twice elected President of the United States, Died in 
New York City, July 4, 1831. His remains were brought to 
Virginia, July 5, 1858, to Hollywood Cemetery, Eichmond. 

Johp. Page, born at "Eosewell," Gloucester County, Vir- 
ginia, April 17, 1743. This was the famous seat of the In- 
dian Emperor, Powhatan, and the place of rescue of Captain 
John Smith by Pocahontas. He was distinguished for his 
ardor in the cause of freedom during the Eevolutionary War. 
It is said he stripped the lead covering from his mansion to 
mould into bullets for his command. Was Governor from 
Dec. 1, 1802, to Dec. 1, 1805. Died in Eichmond City, Vir- 
ginia, Oct. 11, 1808, and was buried in St. John's Church- 
yard. 

William H. Cabell, born Dec. 16, 1772, at Boston Hill, 
Cumberland County, Virginia. Governor from Dec. 1, 1805, 



366 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

to Dec. 1, 1808. Was subsequently elected Judge of the Gen- 
eral Court, and later Judge of the Court of Appeals. Died 
in Eichmond, Virginia, January 12, 1853. 

John Tyler, born Feb. 28, 1747, in James City County, Vir- 
ginia. Governor from Dec. 1, 1808, to January 11, 1811. 
Was subsequently appointed by President Madison Judge of 
the U. S. District Court of Virginia. Was the father of 
John Tyler who was Governor in 1825 to 1827, and Vice- 
President, and subsequently President of the United States. 
Died Jan. 6, 1813, at his home. 

James Monroe, Governor from Jan. 11, 1811, to Nov. 25, 
1811, when he resigned to accept the office of Secretary of 
State in President Madison's Cabinet. This was his second 
term as Governor. Served two successive terms as President 
of the United States, from 1817 to 1825. 

George William Smith, born in 1730, in Essex County, 
Virginia. Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor from 
Nov. 25, 1811, to Dec. 26, 1811. Was one of the victims of 
the burning of the Eichmond, Virginia, theatre, while trying - 
to rescue his little son, on the night of Dec. 26, 1811. 

Peyton Eandolph, born in Wiliamsburg, Virginia, was the 
son of former Governor Edmund Eandolph.. He was Acting 
Governor and senior member of the Council of State, from 
Dec. 26, 1811, to Jan. 3, 1812. 

James Barbour, born in Orange County, A^irginia, June 
10, 1775. Governor from Jan. 3, 1812, to Dec. 1, 1814. 
During his term the second war with Great Britain occurred. 
It is said he was so patriotic as to pledge his own fortune to 
aid the State in raising funds to equip the soldiers of Virginia 
during that war. Was member of the United States Senate 
from 1815 to 1825. Barbour County, now in West Virginia., 
was named in his honor. Died at Barboursville, Barbour 
County, then in the State of Virginia, June 7, 1842. 

Wilson Gary Mcholas, born in Williamsburg, Virginia, 
Jan. 31, 1761. Governor from Dec. 1, 1814, to Dec. 1, 1816. 



APPENDIX 367 

Before his election as Governor he had served in the United 
States House of Eepresentatives, and in the United States 
Senate. Died Oct. 10, 1820, at the home of Thomas Jeffer- 
son Randolph, his son-in-law, near Melton, Cabell County, 
West Virginia. 

James B. Preston, born in Montgomery County, Virginia, 
June 21, 1774. Governor from Dec. 1, 1816, to Dec. 1, 1819. 
His ancestors came from Londonderry, Ireland. Was Colo< 
nel of 12th U. S. Infantry during 1812-13, and was severely 
wounded in the war with Great Britain. The University of 
Virginia was established during his term. He was subse- 
quently made postmaster at Richmond, Virginia. Died May 
4, 1843, in Montgomery County. Preston County, now in 
West Virginia, was named in his honor. 

Thomas Mann Kandolph, born in Goochland County, Vir- 
ginia, Oct. 1, 1765. Governor from Dec. 1, 1819, to Dec. 1, 

1822. Was honored as one of Virginia's heroes during the 
war with Great Britain, 1812-15. His wife was Martha 
Jefferson, daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Was member of 
United States Congress from 1803 to 1807. Died at Mon- 
ticello, the home of his father-in-law, June 20, 1828. 

James Pleasants, Jr., born in Goochland County, Virginia, 
Oct. 24, 1769. Governor from Dec. 1, 1822, to Dec. 1, 1825. 
Was member of Virginia Legislature, 1789 to 1799 and sub- 
sequently was Clerk of Virginia House of Delegates. Was 
member of the United States House of Representatives. Died 
in Goochland County, Virginia, Nov. 9, 1836. 

John Tyler, born at Greenway, Charles City County, Vir- 
ginia, March 29, 1790. Governor from Dec. 1, 1825, to 
March, 1827, when he resigned to succeed John Randolph in 
the United States Senate, and in 1833 was re-elected to United 
States Senate. Was the son of former Governor John Tyler. 
Was member of Virginia House of Delegates in 1811 and 

1823, and was member of United States Congress, 1816 
to 1821. Was Vice-President of the United States from 



368 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

March 4, 1841, to April 4, 1841, when he succeeded to the 
office of President of the United States upon the death of 
President William Henry Harrison. Member of Confede- 
rate Congress during the Civil War. Died in the " Ballard " 
House, Eichmond, Virginia, Jan. 17, 1862, and was buried at 
Hollywood Cemetery, Eichmond, Virginia. 

William B. Giles, born in Amelia County, Virginia, Aug. 
12, 1762. Governor from March, 1827, to March, 1830. 
Was elected to the United States Senate in 1804. Died at 
the family seat, Imown as " The Wigv/am," in Amelia County, 
Virginia, Dec. 4, 1830. Giles County was named in his 
honor. 

John Floyd, born in Jefferson County, now in West Vir- 
ginia, April 24, 1783. Governor from March, 1830, to 
March, 1834. Was surgeon in the army during the second 
war with great Britain, 1812 to 1815. Was a member of 
United States Senate before his election as Governor. Dur- 
ing his term as Governor occurred what is known as the " Nat 
Turner Insurrection," of slaves, which terminated after the 
killing of a few of the whites. Died in Montgomery County, 
Virginia, Aug, 15, 1837. ;Floyd County, Virginia, named in 
his honor. 

Littleton V7. Tazewell, born in Accomac County, Virginia, 
Dec. 17, 1774. Governor from March, 1834, to April 30, 
1836, when he resigned because of disagreement with State 
Legislature. Was member of the United States House of 
Eepresentatives at a very early age. Was subsequently a 
member of the United States Senate. Died in Norfolk, Vir- 
Virginia, May 6, 1860. 

Wyndham Robertson, born near the site of Manchester, 
Chesterfield County, Virginia, Jan. 26, 1803. Governor 
from April 30, 1836 to March, 1837, this being the remainder 
of the term of Governor Tazewell. Died at his home in 
Washington County, Virginia, Feb. 11, 1888. 



APPENDIX 3G9 

David Campbell, born in Smyth County, Virginia, Aug. 2, 
1779. Governor from March, 1837, to March, 1840. He 
gained distinction during the War of 1812 to 1815. Died 
March 19, 1859, at Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia. 

Thomas Walker G-ilmer, born in Albemarle County, Vir- 
ginia, April 6, 1802. • Governor from March, 1840, to March 
18, 1841, when he resigned because of disagreement with tlie 
State Legislature relative to controversy with Governor 
Seward, of ISTew York, concerning the surrender of men 
accused of abducting slaves from Virginia. Was subsequently 
elected to the United States Congress, and Chairman of Ways 
and Means Committee in that body. Was Secretary of Navy 
in President Tyler's Cabinet. Was killed in the explosion of 
United States Steamer Princeton, in 1844. 

John Mercer Patton, born in Fredericksburg, Va., Aug. 10, 
1797. On the resignation of Governor Gilmer, he was senior 
councilor, and as such Acting Governor, until the expiration 
of his term as senior councilor, March 31, 1841. Died in 
Richmond City, Virginia, Oct. 28, 1858. 

John Eutherf ord, born in Eiclimond City, Virginia, Dec. 2, 
1792. Was Senior Councilor upon the expiration of Acting 
Governor John Mercer Patton's term, and as such served as 
Acting Governor, from March 31, 1841, to March 31, 1842, 
when his term also as Senior Councilor expired, and there- 
fore his term as Acting Governor also expired. Died in Eich- 
mond City, Virginia, Aug. 3, 1866. 

John M. Gregory, born in Charles City County, Virginia, 
July 8, 1804. At the expiration of Acting Governor Euther- 
ford's term as Senior Councilor, he succeeded as Acting Gov- 
ernor and Senior Councilor, from March 31, 1842, to Jan. 1, 
1843. This completed the unexpired term to which Gover- 
nor Gilmer had been elected. He was known as a man of 
great energy, and perseverance. He began life as a farm 
hand, and by his own industry succeeded in obtaining the 
highest honor in the State. Died in Williamsburg, Vir- 
24 



370 LIFE IN OLD VIRGINIA 

ginia, in 1887, and was buried at Shockoe Hill Cemetery, 
Eichmond City, Virginia. 

James McDowell, born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, 
Oct. 11, 1795. Governor from Jan. 1, 1843, to Jan. 1, 1846. 
"Was subsequently elected to the United States House of 
Eepresentatives. Died at Lexington, Eockbridge County, 
Virginia, Aug. 24, 1851. 

William Smith, born in King George County, Virginia, 
Sept. 6, 1797. Governor from Jan. 1, 1846, to Jan. 1, 1849. 
At the expiration of his term he emigrated to California, 
where he remained two years, after which he returned to 
Virginia, and was made a member of the United States 
House of Eepresentatives four successive terms. Contracted 
for carrying United States mail from Washington to Mil- 
ledgeville, Georgia, in 1831, and because of his repeated de- 
mands for extra compensation was given the nick name of 
"Extra Billy." Was Colonel of the 47th Virginia Vol- 
unteers during the Civil War, at the age of 64, and was pro- 
moted to Major General in the Confederate Army. Was 
again Governor of Virginia, at the date of the evacuation of 
Eichmond City, by the Confederate Army. Died in Warren- 
ton, Fauquier County, Virginia, May 18, 1887. 

John E. Floyd, born in that part of Montgomery County, 
A'irginia, now Pulaski County, June 1, 1806. Governor from 
Jan. 1, 1849, to Jan. 1, 1852. Was son of former Governor 
John Floyd. Was Secretary of War in President Buchanan's 
Cabinet. May, 1861, was made Brigadier General in the Con- 
federate Army. Died Aug. 26, 1863, near Abingdon, Wash- 
ington County, Virginia. 

Joseph Johnson, born in Orange County, New York, Dec. 
10, 1785. Governor from Jan. 1, 1852, to Jan. 1, 1856. He 
was the first Governor since the Eevolutionary War born out- 
side of the State, and the first Governor of Virginia elected 
by popular vote, when the term of office was extended to four 



APPENDIX 



J71 



years. Prior to this election the governors of Virginia were 
elected by the General Assembly. He served eight terms in 
the United States House of Eepresentatives Died Feb. 37, 
1877. 

Henry A. ¥7ise, born at Drummondtown, Aceomac 
County, A^irginia, Dec. 3, 1803. Governor from Jan. 1, 1856, 
to Jan. 1, 1860. His paternal grandfather was county Lieu- 
tenant of the Eastern Shore of Virginia under King George 
III. His maternal grandfather, General John Cropper, won 
distinction during the Eevolutionary War. His family was 
greatly distinguished in Virginia. The Governor was highly 
educated, and prominent as a debater. During his term 
occurred the " John Brown " raid at Harpers Ferry to free 
the slaves. Was a member of the United States House of 
Eepresentatives six terms. Was Brigadier General in the 
Confederate Army during the Civil War. Died in Eichmond 
City, Va., Sept. 12, 1876. 

John Letcher, born at Lexington, Eockbridge County, Vir- 
ginia, March 29, 1813. Governor from Jan. 1860, to Jan. 1, 

1864. During his term the State of Virginia seceded from 
the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. He 
was a self made man, of Scotch Irish descent. Was a member 
of the United States House of Eepresentatives prior to his 
election as Governor. Died in Lexington, Eockbridge 
County, Virginia Jan. 26, 1884. 

V/illiam Smith, Governor from Jan. 1, 1864, to May 9, 

1865. This was his second term; his first term extended 
from 1846 to 1849. AVhen Eichmond City was evacuated by 
the Confederate forces, Apr. 3, 1865, he moved the seat of 
Government to Lynchburg, and subsequently to Danville. 
He finally surrendered to the Federal authorities. 

Francis K. Fierpont, born in Monongalia County, now in 
West Virginia, Jan. 25, 1815. Governor of the western 
counties of Old Virginia, now in West Virginia, which re- 



372 LIFE IN OLD VIRGIISriA 

fused to secede from the Union. His headquarters were 
established at Wheeling, now in AVest Virginia, where he re- 
mained until these western counties were admitted into the 
Union as a separate State, under the name of "West Virginia, 
June 19, 1863, when he established his headquarters at 
Alexandria City, Virginia, until May, 1865, when he moved 
to Richmond, Virginia, after its evacuation by the Confede- 
rate government. Here he continued to exercise the duties of 
the office until the appointment of Henry H. Wells as Pro- 
visional Governor under military rule, Apr. 16, 1868. Died 
in Pittsburg, Pa., March 24, 1899. Was one of the Gov- 
ernors who was born in a log cabin. 

Henry H. Wells, born in Rochester, New York, Sept. 17, 
1823. Was Provisional Governor from April 16, 1868, to 
April 21, 1869. Appointed by General Schoneld, of the 
Federal Arm}^, commanding the First Military District of 
Virginia. Was Brigadier General in Federal Army during 
the Civil War. Was a practicing attorney at law in Rich- 
mond City, Virginia, when appointed governor. 

Gilbert C. Walker, born in Binghampton, New York, Aug. 
1, 1832. Provisional Governor from April 21, 1869, to Jan. 
1, 1870, appointed by General E. R. S. Canby of the Fed- 
eral Army, who succeeded General Schofield as Commander 
First Military District of Virginia, under the Reconstruction 
Acts of the Unit^ States Congress. Walker was elected 
Governor by the Mbwa^-e*- Conservative Party, and served 
from Jan. 1, 1870 to Jan. 1, 1874. Was subsequently elected 
to Congress from Virginia on the Conservative Party ticket. 
He removed to New York City where he died May 12, 1885. 

James L. Kemper, born in Madison County, Virginia, June 
12, 1823. Governor from Jan. 1, 1874, to Jan. 1, 1878. 
Served as a Captain in the Mexican War under General 
Zachary Taylor. Was Brigadier General in the Confederate 
Army during the Civil War, Died in Orange County, Vir- 
ginia, April 7, 1895. 



APPENDIX 373 

Frederick W. M. Holiiday, born in Winchester, Va., Feb. 
22, 1827. Governor from Jan. 1, 1878, to Jan. 1, 1883. 
Was Colonel of the 33rd A'^irginia Infantry of the famous 
" Stonewall Jackson " Brigade. Was also a member of the 
Confederate Congress. His ancestors were of Scotch Irish 
descent. Died in Winchester, Virginia, May 29, 1899. 

William E. Cameron, born in Petersburg, Virginia, Nov. 
29, 1842. Governor from Jan. 1, 1882, to Jan. 1, 1886. Was 
elected on the Eeadjuster ticket; his opponent was Hon. John 
W. Daniel, one of the present United States Senators from 
Virginia. Was Captain in the Confederate Army, and won 
fame as an editor at several respective periods, of the Index- 
Appeal, NorfolJc Virginian, and Richmond Whig, of the pub- 
lic press, of Virginia. He is one of the living ex-governors 
of Virginia. 

Fitshngh Lee, born at Clermount, Fairfax County, Vir- 
ginia, Nov. 19, 1835. Governor from Jan. 1, 1886 to Jan. 1, 
1890. He was of the famous family of Lees in Virginia. 
Governor Henry Lee, 1791 to 1794, was his paternal grand- 
father, and George Mason, a signer of the Declaration of 
Independence, was his great grandfather on the maternal side. 
Was a graduate of West Point U. S. Military Academy, and 
subsequently Lieutenant of the Second U. S. Cavalry, doing 
service in the West prior to the Civil War, during which latter 
period he entered the Confederate Army and was appointed 
Brigadier General. After the close of the Civil War he en- 
joyed the unique distinction of again being appointed an 
officer in the United States Army. This latter appointment — 
as U. S. Brigadier General — was made by President McKin- 
ley, v,'ho served in the Federal Army during the period of the 
Civil AVar, while Fitzhugh Lee was a Brigadier General in the 
Confederate Army. Died in Washington, D. C, April 28, 
1905. 

Philip W. MeKinney, born in Buckingham County, Vir- 
ginia, March 17, 1834. Governor from Jan. 1, 1890, to Jan. 










374 LI]?E IN OLD VIRGINIA 

A3 

1, 1894. Was Captain of the Buckingham Troop in tlie Con- 
federate Army, Was member of State Legislature. His 
opponent in the election for Governor was the famous ex- 
Confederate General William Mahone. Died in Farmville, 
Prince Edward County, Virginia, March 1, 1899. 

Charles T. O'Eerrall, born in Frederick County, Virginia, 
Oct. 31, 1840. Governor from Jan. 1, 1S94, to Jan. 1, 1898. 
Enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army, and promoted 
to Colonel. Was elected several terms to the United States 
House of Seprosentatives from his native State. 

J. Hoge Tyler, born in Caroline County, Virginia, Aug. 11, 
1846. Governor from Jan. 1, 1898, to Jan. 1, 1902. Like 
many of the famous men of Virginia he attended the " Old 
Field Schools." Was formerly Lieut. Governor, and member 
of the Virginia Legislature. He was the third Tyler to fill 
the exalted office of Governor, and noted as his predecessors 
as an exemplar of the unpretentious, thorough Virginia gen- 
tleman. Living. 

Andrew J. Montague, born in Campbell Co., Virginia, Oct. 
3, 1862. Governor from Jan. 1, 1902, to Feb. 1, 1906, the 
term extended under the new Constitution. His father, 
Eobert L. Montague, a distinguished jurist and statesman of 
Middlesex County, Virginia, M^as familiarly nicknamed the 
" Eed Fox of Middlesex " because of the color of his hair and 
the able manner in which he managed his cases in court. In 
1893 was appointed by President Cleveland United States 
District Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Was 
elected Attorney General of Virginia in 1898. Living. 

Claude A. Swanson— The present incumbent— was elected 
Governor to serve from Feb. 1, 1906, to Feb. 1, 1910. Is one 
of the energetic men who rise by self effort. Taught school, 
clerked in store, and graduated in law. Was member of the 
United States House of Kepresentatives for six terms. Born 
in Swansonville, Pittsylvania County, A^irginia. 



